Business boost in Queen’s Speech

The government has announced a series of measures in the Queen’s Speech that it said were “unashamedly pro-work and pro-business”.

Included in a raft of bills were proposals to make it easier for small businesses to access finance and remove red tape.

There will also be measures to tackle zero-hours contracts and national minimum wage abuses.

Some childcare regulations will also be made more flexible.

A corporate ownership bill will make it easier to punish rogue company directors by increasing the period for which they can be disqualified and awarding compensation to victims.

The bill will also introduce a public register of beneficial shareholders in a company.