Stewart Dunn, Chief Executive of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, has made the following comments on the Queen’s Speech: “Before the Election we were calling for practical, pro-enterprise measures from whoever was going to be in power. This Queen’s Speech goes some way towards cutting red tape and alleviating late payments issues, both of which are troubling for many businesses. It also furthers the pragmatic aim of reforming Britain’s relationship with the EU ahead of a referendum, an approach most of our members welcome. We would have liked to see more detail on how the government will improve the system of business rates before the next planned re-evaluation in 2017. There will also be some concern over the explicit ruling out of any rises in income tax, VAT or National Insurance before 2020. While in many respects these are good steps for business, the government has left itself little room for manoeuvre if economic conditions prove more challenging than expected.”
