FDF reaction to the King's Speech

Commenting on the King's Speech, Karen Betts, Chief Executive of the Food and Drink Federation said: 

"The government set out an ambitious agenda today in the King’s Speech, which our sector very much supports. It's a sound basis on which we can partner with government and others to deliver investment, growth and innovation; prosperity in our communities; and a strong everyday economy.

The government’s vision for an industrial strategy is particularly welcome. We hope this will drive good regulation and a dynamic business environment, alongside effective cross-government and intra-sector engagement. There are huge opportunities here to seize, to ensure our industry - the UK’s largest manufacturing sector – drives economic growth and skills development up and down the country.

We also welcome the other measures included in today’s speech, including the New Deal for Working People. As an industry that employs half a million people, we look forward to engaging with government to ensure this policy works for both our workforce and the diverse range of employers in our sector, 97% of which are SMEs. It's good to see too the announcement of the growth and skills levy, which we hope will help to address the chronic skills shortage we currently face, at all skill levels, from operators and engineers to food technologists and scientists.  

Our industry also stands ready to partner with government to help to tackle obesity and poor diets. We welcome the clarity provided today on the implementation of HFSS advertising restrictions. We hope secondary legislation and guidance will follow quickly, to enable industry to prepare effectively for the changes.

Our focus now turns to working with government to implement the policies they've set out. We're confident that, with the right partnership with government, we can turn the challenges our sector is facing – from boosting science and innovation, to reaching net zero, and supporting healthier and more sustainable diets and lifestyles – into tangible opportunities for economic growth.”