The Queen delivered her speech setting out her Government's priorities for the next Parliament yesterday (19/12/2019). Some of the priorities set out include:

To protect and improve the environment for future generations, a bill will enshrine in law environmental principles and legally-binding targets, including for air quality.

Improving air quality is one of the big challenges facing transport today with several UK cities having air quality below the EU legal limits. The Royal College of Physicians has estimated that the total social costs of the deaths and health problems resulting from exposure to air pollution is £20 billion. In 2018 the then Conservative government said: "European Union (Withdrawal) Bill [now Act] is designed to ensure that, as far as possible, the same rules and laws will apply on the day after we leave as on the day before". The concerns remain that standards could be changed and that they may follow future EU changes, and that the future enforcement of such standards is unclear.

To support business, my government will increase tax credits for research and development, establish a National Skills Fund, and bring forward changes to business rates.

As set out in the Conservative Manifesto the National Skills Fund is intended to inject £6 billion over 5 years to provide matching funding for individuals and SMEs for high-quality education and training. The Government will consult on the exact design of this fund. Last year, Transport Network could report that a Highways England survey of its supply chain found that 44% of the surveyed said that current skills shortage is 'either very severe or severe', while only 7% respondents said that current skills shortage is either 'minor or not an issue'.

My Government will prioritise investment in infrastructure and world-leading science research and skills, in order to unleash productivity and improve daily life for communities across the country.

The Conservative Manifesto promised to launch the biggest ever pothole-filling programme as part of the National Infrastructure Strategy. The Potholes Fund will add £500 million per year for 4 years. They will invest an overall of £28.8 billion in the strategic and local road network.

CIHT has launched a series of challenges to the new Conservative government. Read more here.