POLICY WATCH

On 13 May 2026, the King delivered the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament.

The speech is written by the government and sets out its legislative plans for the new parliamentary session. This year’s speech focused heavily on the cost of living, defence, economic growth and public services.

For pest management, there were several areas worth watching, especially UK-EU relations, regulation, late payment, employment and the Armed Forces Covenant.

SPEED READ

• The King’s Speech sets out the government’s legislative priorities for the year ahead
• The speech is delivered by the King but written by the government
• A commitment to strengthen ties with the European Union could affect pest management products, particularly biocides
• The speech also covered late payments, reducing unnecessary regulation, youth unemployment and the Armed Forces Covenant
• BPCA will continue to monitor the details as Bills are introduced and scrutinised.

The speech does not go into detail but gives us a flavour of the government’s priorities. Here’s what else the speech covered and how it might affect pest management.

Relations with Europe

The government plans to introduce a European Partnership Bill to “strengthen ties with the European Union”. 

The bill would introduce powers to enable the domestic implementation of current and future treaties with the EU to be fast-tracked.

Currently, the government is negotiating with the EU on a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement. Covering standards and trade relating to animals, plants and food, the Biocidal Products Regulations, which govern the approval of active substances and the authorisation of biocidal products, will be in scope.

The agreement aims to make trade between the UK and the EU “easier, cheaper and more predictable”. It is expected to come into force in mid-2027.

This could directly affect chemical pest management products, including availability, authorisations, costs and future innovation.

BPCA has consistently argued for clear, workable chemical regulation that protects public health, safeguards the environment and keeps professional pest management properly equipped. Defending the pest management toolkit and advocating for better chemical regulation are a key part of our Manifesto for Pest Management.

Supporting British businesses

The speech included a commitment to introduce legislation to tackle late payments and to “reduce the burden of unnecessary regulation through innovation.”

For many pest management businesses, particularly smaller servicing companies, late payment can make it harder to invest in training, vehicles, equipment and staff.

A proposed Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill will:

• Impose maximum payment terms of 60 days
• Mandatory interest for late payments, set at 8% above the Bank of England Base rate which is currently 3.75%
• Introduce a time limit for raising invoice disputes, before payment is due
• Empower the Small Business Commissioner to investigate businesses with poor payment practices, adjudicate payment disputes, and fine persistently late payers.

Additionally, the Regulating for Growth Bill will list leading regulators and give them a legal mandate to prioritise growth in their regulatory decision making.

The list is expected to include Natural England, whose functions include wildlife licensing, and the Health and Safety Executive who are responsible for biocidal active substances and products.

Employment and skills

The government also promised to take measures to address youth unemployment, including reforms to the welfare system to encourage both young and disabled people to enter the workforce.

As part of that effort to address youth unemployment, the government will also be responding to the Milburn Review. The review was launched in November last year and will seek to understand the causes behind the rise in youth unemployment and provide recommendations to address it.

When launched, one in eight young people (aged 16 to 24) were not in education, employment or training.

BPCA is pleased to see youth employment remain on the government’s agenda. Pest management has a strong story to tell as a practical, skilled and varied career.

Through our work with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), we will continue to promote pest management as a career pathway for people who may never have considered the sector before.

Armed Forces Covenant

Also promised within a new Armed Forces Bill, which will include measures to establish the Armed Forces Covenant in law.

The covenant is a commitment that current and former service personnel should face no disadvantage, and in some cases receive special consideration, when accessing public and commercial services. This can include areas such as healthcare, housing and employment.

BPCA is an Armed Forces Covenant signatory, and we welcome any move that strengthens support for the Armed Forces community.

At present, organisations can sign the covenant voluntarily. Public bodies also have duties to consider covenant principles in specific areas, including healthcare, education and housing.

The Armed Forces Bill seeks to extend that legal duty on public bodies to further policy areas, including: social care, childcare, social security and employment support.

What happens next

The King’s Speech is the starting point, not the finished product.

The real detail will come as Bills are published and move through Parliament. BPCA will continue to review proposals that could affect pest management businesses, products, employment, regulation and professional standards.

Where there are opportunities to make the case for our sector, we’ll take them.