Legislation Published March 2026
Legislation Tracker is your source for clear, concise explanations of Acts of Parliament and Statutory Instruments introduced in the United Kingdom.
We break down the technical legal jargon of each piece of legislation, explaining in plain language what it means and its potential impact.
Summary
- 17th Mar 26 The Regulations applied specified sections of PACE, with modifications, to enforcement officers investigating labour market offences in England and Wales, and revoked the previous 2017 rules. View
- 17th Mar 26 The Regulations amended multiple statutory instruments, including those concerning employment agencies, gangmaster licensing appeals, and proceeds of crime investigations, to replace references to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority with the Secretary of State, following provisions in the Employment Rights Act 2025. View
- 17th Mar 26 The Order specifies exceptions to the independent radio service licensing requirement under the Broadcasting Act 1990, detailing conditions for restricted services operating on non-standard frequencies or ultra-low power, and simultaneously revoked two previous exception orders. View
- 16th Mar 26 The regulations mandated specific annual reporting requirements for accredited ADR providers, final reporting for former accredited providers, and supplementary data submission for exempt ADR providers regarding consumer contract disputes. View
- 16th Mar 26 The Regulations officially removed mandatory review provisions from the Trafficking People for Exploitation Regulations 2013 and the Electronic Commerce Directive (Trafficking People for Exploitation) Regulations 2013. View
- 16th Mar 26 The Order specifies fixed and variable fee increases for licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and revokes the 2024 Fees Order, effective April 6, 2026. View
- 16th Mar 26 The instrument set confirmed fees for application, variation, and periodic payments for Alternative Dispute Resolution providers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. View
- 16th Mar 26 The Regulations activated the Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act 2026, establishing the new offence of unauthorised entry to designated football matches starting March 22, 2026. View
- 16th Mar 26 The Regulations commenced Chapter 4 of Part 4 and Schedules 25 to 27 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 on 6th April 2026 and established transitional provisions for existing Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes. View
- 16th Mar 26 The Secretary of State designated numerous military vessels as protected under the 1986 Act, established new controlled sites, extended existing protected zones, and revoked the previous 2019 designation Order. View
- 16th Mar 26 The regulations imposed a temporary ban on unmanned aircraft flying below 1,200 feet over a specified area in Castlefield, Manchester, on March 16, 2026, to protect a Royal visit. View
- 13th Mar 26 The Order abolished existing electoral wards in Westmorland and Furness and established 35 new district wards and consequential revised parish wards, with implementation commencing in stages leading up to the 2027 local elections. View
- 13th Mar 26 The instrument codified the commencement date and established transitional rules for applying the 2026 up-rated rates of Guardian's Allowance. View
- 13th Mar 26 Section 49 of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, concerning the installation of electric vehicle charge points, was brought into force on March 13, 2026, substituting the previous street works licensing regime with a permit system. View
- 12th Mar 26 The Order increased the statutory borrowing limit for General Lighthouse Authorities under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 to £166 million, effective March 31, 2026. View
- 12th Mar 26 The Regulations amended primary and secondary UK legislation to remove references to the revoked 2015 Alternative Dispute Resolution Regulations and substitute them with provisions from the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. View
- 12th Mar 26 The Regulations brought into force specific sections of the Online Safety Act 2023, primarily mandating CSEA content reporting duties for regulated user-to-user services effective April 7, 2026. View
- 12th Mar 26 The Order abolished the two-tier local government in Surrey, created two new unitary councils (East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council), mandated 2026 elections for shadow authorities, and detailed the complex transition and implementation procedures. View
- 11th Mar 26 The Order amended the Firefighters' Pension Scheme (England) Order 2006 by introducing new death grants for retained firefighters, defining provisions for 'retained firefighter opt-out members' to purchase service, and extending multiple benefit claim and election deadlines. View
- 11th Mar 26 The statutory instrument that imposed emergency flight restrictions over an area in Falkirk, Scotland, was legally revoked with immediate effect. View
- 11th Mar 26 The 2026 Regulations updated the Firefighters' Pension Scheme member contribution thresholds and rates starting April 1st, 2026, and introduced an annual inflation adjustment mechanism. View
- 11th Mar 26 The Regulations amended six existing sets of health and safety legislation to explicitly include definitions, licensing rules, operator responsibilities, and safety case requirements for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and offshore hydrogen production activities. View
- 11th Mar 26 The regulations amended the 2005 Climate Change Levy Regulations to specify electricity used in hydrogen electrolysis and natural gas used in sodium bicarbonate production as non-fuel uses exempt from the levy. View
- 11th Mar 26 The Order varied the 2013 Order to include offshore hydrogen production facilities within the scope of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 application outside Great Britain. View
- 11th Mar 26 The Order designated Consumer Scotland to the list of bodies authorized to make super-complaints under the Enterprise Act 2002 schedule. View
- 11th Mar 26 * The Treasury applied percentage increases to official pensions and associated lump sums across the UK, effective from April 6th, 2026, establishing specific adjustment rates based on the pension's start date. View
- 11th Mar 26 The Regulations revoked certain Discretionary Financial Assistance legislation for England and amended the limits on discretionary housing payment expenditure for local authorities in Wales, effective from April 1, 2026. View
- 11th Mar 26 The Regulations update the daily costs payable by designated authorities for children remanded to youth detention accommodation by inserting new financial figures for periods starting on or after 1st April 2026. View
- 11th Mar 26 The Order modified Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998 to grant temporary, restricted competence to the Scottish Parliament regarding assisted dying substances and devices. View
- 11th Mar 26 The Order legally specified the revaluation factors for public service pensions based on price and earnings changes for the 2025-2026 period and determined its commencement dates across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. View
- 11th Mar 26 The Order modified UK social security legislation to give effect to the reciprocal contributions agreement with the Republic of India. View
- 11th Mar 26 The Order officially appointed the named individuals as His Majesty's Inspectors of Education, Children's Services and Skills, effective March 11, 2026. View
- 11th Mar 26 Statutory Instrument conferred key functions related to the accreditation, fee approval, enforcement, and reporting of consumer Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) providers under the DMCC Act 2024 onto the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) starting April 2026. View
These Regulations apply selected provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)—which typically govern police officers—to enforcement officers appointed under the Employment Rights Act 2025 when they investigate 'labour market offences' across England and Wales, replacing previous 2017 regulations and detailing numerous specific modifications to ensure PACE powers like stop and search, entry, seizure of evidence, and arrest procedures operate correctly within the context of these specialist investigators, including mandatory transfer of arrested persons and seized material to the police upon custody commencement.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 (Enforcement) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026
These Regulations, operating under the powers granted by the Employment Rights Act 2025, make necessary consequential amendments to various pieces of secondary legislation to align them with the new enforcement structure established by the 2025 Act, chiefly involving the transfer of functions previously held by the now-abolished Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) to the Secretary of State and integrating new enforcement officers into regulatory and financial investigation frameworks.
The Broadcasting Act 1990 (Independent Radio Services Exception) Order 2026
This 2026 Statutory Instrument, made under the Broadcasting Act 1990, amends the rules governing independent radio broadcasting by explicitly exempting certain radio services from the general requirement to hold a license.
Specifically, the Order exempts 'restricted services' if they broadcast on frequencies outside the standard AM or FM bands, or if they broadcast on FM frequencies using apparatus emitting extremely low power, not exceeding 50 nanowatts.
Furthermore, the instrument revokes the predecessor exception orders from 1990 and 2007, consolidating the current exceptions framework.
These Regulations, made under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, establish mandatory information reporting obligations for various types of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) providers concerning consumer contract disputes.
Accredited ADR providers must submit annual reports detailing performance metrics and systemic issues, alongside updating operational information previously submitted during accreditation.
Former accredited providers must submit a final report, and designated exempt ADR providers must provide information to the overarching ADR authority if that data is already supplied to their sector-specific regulator, all aimed at improving regulatory oversight and consumer protection in dispute resolution.
The Trafficking People for Exploitation (Amendment) Regulations 2026
These 2026 Regulations, made under the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023, amend two pieces of 2013 legislation concerning the trafficking of people for exploitation by removing specific requirements for statutory reviews of those regulations, thereby streamlining the legal framework without replacement.
This Statutory Instrument, made by the Secretary of State under the powers conferred by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, sets the new fees applicable for licence holders involved in scientific procedures using animals, effective from 6th April 2026 across England, Wales, and Scotland; specifically, it revokes the 2024 Fees Order and establishes a revised fee structure composed of a fixed element (£1168) and a variable element (£382 per relevant personal licence holder).
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (Alternative Dispute Resolution) (Fees) Regulations 2026
These Regulations officially set the specific monetary amounts for fees payable by providers of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services, as mandated by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
The instrument details the fixed fees for applying for, varying, and periodically maintaining accreditation, specifying the amounts for initial applications (£6,151), application variation (£950), and recurring six-monthly fees (£1,318), all of which are payable to the designated ADR authority starting from April 6th, 2026.
The Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act 2026 (Commencement) Regulations 2026
These UK Statutory Instrument Regulations officially bring the Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act 2026 into force across England and Wales on March 22, 2026, by exercising powers granted under Section 2(2) of that Act; this commencement action activates the Act in its entirety, which amends the Football (Offences) Act 1991 by inserting a new offence concerning the unauthorised entry into designated football matches.