Legislation Published December 2025
UK legislation and statutory instruments introduced in December 2025.
Summary
- 29th Dec 25 The Secretary of State approved a non-material change application, resulting in this Order which amended the 2022 DCO via defining Defra, specifying the undertaker, and altering the HHW SAC compensation requirements to include an option for Marine Recovery Fund payments. View
- 29th Dec 25 The Regulations activated specific sections of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 and the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 concerning compulsory purchase procedures, development corporations, and EDPs, with commencement dates staggered between the day after the Regulations were made, February 18th, 2026, and April 1st, 2026. View
- 24th Dec 25 The Secretary of State made non-material changes to the Norfolk Boreas Offshore Wind Farm Order 2021, introducing Defra, updating the undertaker, correcting coordinates, and modifying environmental compensation obligations via provisions for the Marine Recovery Fund. View
- 23rd Dec 25 The Regulations amended the 2024 Producer Responsibility Obligations rules by introducing specific definitions, defining producer liability in mergers and acquisitions, creating reporting pathways for closed-loop packaging waste, updating compliance fees, and outlining transitional reporting arrangements. View
- 23rd Dec 25 The regulations revoked the majority of the Ministry of Defence Police (Conduct, Performance and Appeals Tribunals) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, specifically Parts 2, 3, and 4, and several ancillary regulations (72, 73, 75 except for one definition, 76, 77(1), and 77(2)). View
- 23rd Dec 25 The Regulations activated specific definitional and consequential provisions of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 on December 27, 2025, in preparation for the full commencement of investigatory powers. View
- 22nd Dec 25 The Regulations added offences related to encouraging serious self-harm and specific digital sexual offences to Schedule 7 of the Online Safety Act 2023 and revoked the 2024 amending regulations. View
- 19th Dec 25 The Secretary of State introduced regulations creating an open data scheme for motor fuel prices, establishing an aggregator, imposing data submission duties on fuel traders, granting enforcement powers to the CMA, and setting financial penalties and procedural appeals. View
- 19th Dec 25 The Order abolished existing electoral wards in Middlesbrough and replaced them with 20 new wards, specifying the number of councillors for each. View
- 19th Dec 25 The Order legally abolished the existing electoral wards of Sandwell and established 24 new wards, setting the framework for the 2026 council elections and subsequent councillor retirements. View
- 19th Dec 25 The Regulations formally commenced the Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024, setting its activation date for 29th December 2025. View
- 19th Dec 25 * The Order brought Section 246 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 into force for England on 1st April 2026, mandating recording and reporting of staff use of force on pupils. View
- 18th Dec 25 The Regulations amended Schedule 6B of the Enterprise Act 2002 to impose notification and publication duties on state-owned investors acquiring stakes in newspaper owners, effective in stages from March 13, 2024, for amendment purposes and January 31, 2026, for key operational provisions. View
- 18th Dec 25 The Secretary of State enacted these Regulations, defining seclusion and restraint, imposing recording and parental notification duties on local authority maintained schools, extending similar duties to independent and non-maintained special schools via amendments, providing safeguarding exceptions for non-disclosure, and revoking the preceding 2025 regulations. View
- 18th Dec 25 The Treasury amended the Consumer Composite Investments (Designated Activities) Regulations 2024 to introduce temporary exemptions for financial promotions referencing PRIIPs KIDs during the transition period ending in December 2027. View
- 18th Dec 25 The Order made consequential provisions and modifications across UK legislation to align with the establishment of Qualifications Scotland and His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland under the Education (Scotland) Act 2025. View
- 18th Dec 25 The Regulations revoked and restated previous marine equipment legislation, established new UK conformity assessment procedures utilizing approved and nominated bodies, defined economic operator obligations, and introduced enforcement measures. View
- 18th Dec 25 The Order cited, commenced on December 18, 2025, extended to England and Wales, designated rural primary schools based on an external list, and revoked the 2024 designation Order. View
- 18th Dec 25 The Regulations formally brought into force on January 1st, 2026, key enforcement provisions (tampering and parts suitability) and preliminary regulatory powers (term restriction, information management) from the Automated Vehicles Act 2024. View
- 18th Dec 25 * The Minister for the Cabinet Office made regulations amending the Procurement Act 2023 and associated commencement regulations to incorporate procurement provisions from UK-Kazakhstan and UK-Iraq international agreements, effective December 30th, 2025. View
- 18th Dec 25 The Regulations mandated the creation of procedures for recording pupil seclusion, restraint, and immobilization incidents in schools across England and required the reporting of these incidents to parents unless safeguarding concerns existed, while also amending independent and non-maintained special school standards. View
- 18th Dec 25 The Office for Students authorized the Royal Northern College of Music to grant research awards for a fixed term between 2026 and 2030. View
- 17th Dec 25 The Order cited and commenced the Government of Wales Act 2006 (Devolved Welsh Authorities) (Amendment) Order 2025, removing specified bodies from and updating the list of devolved Welsh authorities in Schedule 9A. View
- 17th Dec 25 The Treasury substituted the Schedule of the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 (Estimates and Accounts) Order 2025 with a revised list of designated bodies affecting supply estimates for the financial year ending March 31, 2026. View
- 17th Dec 25 The Regulations amended numerous secondary legal instruments to align with the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, repealed a section of the Data Protection Act 2018 concerning recordable offences, and updated electoral and company disclosure rules concerning data processing safeguards. View
- 17th Dec 25 The ninth commencement regulations brought sections 23(3), 24(3), 25(3), 26(3), and sections 61 through 64 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 into force in England and Wales on 31st December 2025. View
- 17th Dec 25 The Regulations formally prescribed the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as the market surveillance authority for Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 concerning unmanned aircraft systems. View
- 17th Dec 25 The regulations brought into force sections 61 to 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 on April 7, 2026, and established saving and transitional measures for existing tenancies conferring code rights in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. View
- 16th Dec 25 The Judicial Appointments Commission Regulations 2013 were amended to increase the Commission's membership from 15 to 16, adjust lawyer member qualification requirements, and update the eligibility criteria for the senior tribunal office-holder member seat. View
- 16th Dec 25 The regulations updated the Central African Republic (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 to incorporate definitions and restrictions related to UN Security Council Resolutions 2745 and 2789, specifically targeting armed groups and associated individuals. View
- 16th Dec 25 The Treasury enacted these Regulations to make resulting amendments to the Banking Act 2009 and various pieces of financial secondary legislation in connection with the revocation of retained EU prudential regulations. View
- 16th Dec 25 The Order amended the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990, and the Finance Act 2013 to reflect the introduction of infrastructure consent under the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024. View
- 16th Dec 25 The Order corrected specific textual errors found in the M60/M62/M66 Simister Island Interchange Development Consent Order 2025 related to defined works and terminology. View
- 16th Dec 25 The Order established the Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development Corporation and defined its corresponding Mayoral development area under powers granted by the Localism Act 2011. View
- 16th Dec 25 The Order established the Atom Valley Northern Gateway Mayoral Development Corporation, defined its development area based on a specific map, and set the official commencement date for January 16th, 2026. View
- 15th Dec 25 The Regulations updated the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes exempt from the Immigration Skills Charge and increased the required levy amounts payable by sponsors by 32%. View
- 15th Dec 25 These Regulations brought into force specific sections of the Procurement Act 2023 on January 1st, 2026, and April 1st, 2026, detailing commencement provisions related to payments compliance and contract performance assessment, while making specific exceptions and definitions for procurements regulated by the Welsh Ministers. View
- 15th Dec 25 The Regulations created criminal offences for UAS operators and remote pilots breaching the UK Implementing Regulation for drone operations, set penalties, and amended related UK Acts concerning police powers and existing air navigation rules. View
- 15th Dec 25 Specified provisions of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, relating to the Border Security Commander, immigration offences, powers over electronic devices, and conditions on leave, were brought into force on January 5th, 2026. View
- 12th Dec 25 The Regulations amended the Down Syndrome Act 2022 to update references to NHS bodies, replacing 'National Health Service Commissioning Board' with 'NHS England' and 'clinical commissioning group' with 'integrated care board'. View
- 12th Dec 25 The Order designated St Thomas of Canterbury CE Primary School and Edullect Academy Independent School as having a religious character and revoked previous designations for multiple other independent schools across several earlier statutory instruments. View
- 12th Dec 25 The Order amended thirty-four existing UK Sanctions Orders in Council concerning Overseas Territories to implement changes from the Sanctions (EU Exit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2024, including updating finance-related reporting obligations and expanding definitions of regulated firms. View
- 12th Dec 25 The Order appointed Owen Evans as the Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales for five years starting January 1st, 2027, and revoked the previous 2021 Order on that date. View
- 12th Dec 25 The Regulations appointed 12th December 2025 as the commencement date for specified provisions in Parts 4, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the Football Governance Act 2025. View
- 12th Dec 25 The Order appointed 17th December 2025 as the end date for the access preparation period concerning the coastal margin rights along the Cremyll to Kingswear section of the England Coast Path. View
- 12th Dec 25 The Order appointed December 17, 2025, as the end date for the access preparation period for the coastal margin relating to the Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth section of the England Coast Path. View
- 11th Dec 25 The Regulations amended Section 17 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 to introduce permitted disclosures to the CICA and courts/tribunals for compensation claims, and expanded the definition of a qualified lawyer to include registered foreign lawyers. View
- 11th Dec 25 The Order enacts the new Double Taxation Convention and Protocol with Romania, detailing rules for taxing income, capital gains, permanent establishments, and introducing mutual agreement and information exchange procedures. View
- 11th Dec 25 The Order expanded the scope of practice for registered pharmacy technicians by legally enabling pharmacists to authorize them to conduct and supervise medicine-related tasks, introducing consequential amendments to medicine control regulations, and differentiating commencement timelines for various provisions. View
- 11th Dec 25 * The Order enacted the Double Taxation Convention between the UK and Andorra for income and capital taxes, including supplemental Notes Verbales to correct clerical errors within the Convention text. View
- 11th Dec 25 The Order brought into effect the Double Taxation Convention and Protocol between the UK and the Portuguese Republic to eliminate double taxation and enhance tax enforcement. View
- 11th Dec 25 The UK and Peru enacted a Convention and Protocol to eliminate double taxation on income and capital gains, prevent tax avoidance, and establish mechanisms for tax enforcement assistance. View
- 11th Dec 25 The Secretary of State for Transport revised the maximum tolls for the Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry, effective December 30, 2025, and revoked the 2021 toll revision Order. View
- 10th Dec 25 The Treasury amended the 2025 Commencement No. 10 Regulations to save specific permissions granted by the PRA under the Capital Requirements Regulation and maintained the PRA's power to amend related delegated technical standards past January 1st, 2026. View
- 10th Dec 25 The Secretary of State established new 500-meter safety zones around two specified offshore installations and revoked safety zones established under four previous orders dating from 2007 and 2008. View
- 10th Dec 25 These regulations amended the principal Regulations to correct a drafting error in how transitional provisions related to securing free childcare for working parents were being removed. View
- 10th Dec 25 The regulations amended several customs regulations to update DCTS origin criteria, reclassified Vanuatu's trade status, adjusted regional cumulation groups, and revised version numbers for numerous supporting tariff and trade preference documents. View
- 10th Dec 25 The Office for Students revoked The Power to Award Degrees etc. (LTE Group Limited) Order 2025 because it contained a drafting error. View
- 9th Dec 25 The Order amended the 2014 legislation to mandate that nationals or citizens of Nauru require a transit visa for travelling through the UK, effective December 10, 2025. View
- 8th Dec 25 The Rules amended the Court Funds Rules 2011 to differentiate the management of sterling and foreign currency deposits, updated interest accrual rules, and simplified payment-out procedures under CPR rule 37.3. View
- 8th Dec 25 The regulations enacted specific derogations extending the permissible use dates for halon 1211 in fire extinguishers on designated Defence and Loganair aircraft. View
- 8th Dec 25 The Regulations amended the Police Regulations 2003 by removing consultation requirements for part-time appointments, aligning probation/overtime treatment between part-time and full-time staff, and altering annual leave calculation from 'days' to flexible 'periods'. View
- 5th Dec 25 The Regulations amended the 2023 Regulations to introduce deemed compliance pathways based on the Japan JC-STAR STAR-1 and Singapore Cybersecurity Labelling Scheme for product security and statements of compliance. View
- 5th Dec 25 The Regulations amended the 2020 MDP Conduct, Performance, and Appeals Tribunals Regulations, introducing electronic service of documents, mandatory disciplinary outcomes for misconduct findings, restructuring performance review stages, and updating rules applicable to former officers. View
- 4th Dec 25 The Regulations commenced provisions of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 concerning online publicity for non-Welsh compulsory purchase orders and established transitional rules for ongoing CPO procedures. View
- 4th Dec 25 The Secretary of State for Transport amended the Railway Byelaws to ensure gender neutrality, ban e-cigarette use, clarify vehicle obstruction and parking rules across England, Wales, and Scotland, and replace 'penalty' with 'fine' in enforcement provisions. View
- 3rd Dec 25 The Secretary of State enacted the South East Water Limited (River Ouse and Shell Brook) Drought Order 2025, temporarily modifying licence conditions to manage a serious water supply threat in Sussex due to drought, imposing monitoring requirements, and setting an expiry date of June 2, 2026. View
- 3rd Dec 25 The Regulations brought Section 98 of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 into force immediately, and set a two-month commencement date for Sections 78, 79, and Schedule 3 relating to eligibility verification. View
- 3rd Dec 25 The Regulations established the citation, commencement on 12th January 2026, and territorial extent for the forthcoming statutory Code of Practice governing Victim Information Requests under the relevant 2022 and 2024 Acts. View
- 3rd Dec 25 * The Secretary of State exercised powers under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 to define 'counselling services' relevant to information requests by law enforcement, establishing commencement and extent provisions. View
- 3rd Dec 25 The Secretary of State made an Order amending the 2015 Development Consent Order for the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck Offshore Wind Farm to allow separate consideration and enforcement of requirements for Project A and Project B. View
- 3rd Dec 25 The Regulations amended the Early Years Foundation Stage (Welfare Requirements) Regulations 2012, the Local Authority (Duty to Secure Early Years Provision Free of Charge) Regulations 2014, the Childcare Providers (Information, Advice and Training) Regulations 2014, and the Childcare (Free of Charge for Working Parents) (England) Regulations 2022 to align them with updated inspection outcome criteria. View
- 2nd Dec 25 The Merchant Shipping (Polar Code) (Safety) Regulations 2025 were enacted, implementing updated IMO requirements for polar navigation, extending compliance to smaller vessels, and amending preceding survey, certification, and fee regulations. View
- 2nd Dec 25 The Regulations amended Part A of Annex 2 to Regulation (EU) 2017/852 by inserting new entries and associated phase-out dates for mercury use in several categories of devices, effective from December 23rd, 2025, across England, Wales, and Scotland. View
- 2nd Dec 25 The Treasury amended sections of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, specifically increasing statutory monetary thresholds for calculating the taxable cash equivalent of car fuel benefits, van benefits, and van fuel benefits, effective from April 6, 2026. View
- 2nd Dec 25 The Order amended Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 by excluding specific preserved railway byelaws from the definition of relevant land to enable the recovery of unpaid station car parking charges. View
- 2nd Dec 25 The Order amended the 2001 Block Exemption Order to remove its sunset clause, revised definitions for connecting services and vehicle classification, eliminated the definition of "working day," and set a new mandatory review schedule beginning in 2031. View
- 1st Dec 25 The Treasury amended Part 8C of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 to exclude low-rate simple interest from the 45% restitution interest tax charge and adjusted the assessment time limit for chargeable interest. View
- 1st Dec 25 The regulations prescribed new fees for Public Record Office services, revoked the 2018 Regulations, and introduced specific charges for accessing certain military service personnel records. View
- 1st Dec 25 The document renamed the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme to the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service and increased fixed fees and hourly rates for controlled work in housing, debt, and immigration/asylum legal aid, effective December 22, 2025. View
- 1st Dec 25 The Regulations cited and commenced amendments to criminal legal aid general and remuneration frameworks, updating fee rates, extending coverage to specific Parole Board appeals, and modifying payment rules for litigators. View
- 1st Dec 25 The Office for Students amended the 2024 Order to extend the fixed-term authorization for ESCP Europe Business School to award degrees until December 2, 2030. View
The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential and Other Amendments) Regulations 2025
These Regulations finalize the transition following the enactment of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 by making necessary consequential amendments across various pieces of UK legislation.
Key actions include repealing a section of the Data Protection Act 2018 concerning recordable offences while simultaneously updating regulations to ensure the new offence of making false statements in response to an interview notice becomes recordable, and revising numerous electoral and company disclosure rules to align references from the UK GDPR concerning data processing for research and archiving purposes (replacing references to Article 89 with Article 84A).
The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Commencement No. 9) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State under powers granted by the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, enact the ninth commencement order for that Act, bringing specified provisions into force across England and Wales on 31st December 2025.
These provisions include amendments allowing the Secretary of State, Lord Chancellor, and Attorney General to mandate scrutiny of victims' treatment within joint inspections conducted by various inspectorates, alongside new mechanisms requiring the Parole Board to refer certain release decisions for life and fixed-term prisoners to the High Court for final determination, with consequential provisions assigning the Secretary of State responsibility for setting and varying associated licence conditions.
The Unmanned Aircraft (Market Surveillance Authority) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State using powers under Article 3B(1) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945, formally designate the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as the market surveillance authority responsible for overseeing compliance within the UK relating to unmanned aircraft systems and third-country operators under that specific retained EU framework, applying across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 (Commencement No. 4, Saving and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made under the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 (PSTI Act 2022), set the commencement date of April 7, 2026, for sections 61 through 64 of the 2022 Act, which concern rent determination and compensation related to conferring code rights for electronic communications apparatus under tenancies in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The document also introduces saving and transitional provisions to ensure a smooth transition, specifying how existing tenancy continuation notices served prior to the commencement date, and interim rent calculations spanning the commencement date, are to be handled under the previous legal frameworks.
The Judicial Appointments Commission (Amendment) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made by the Lord Chancellor with the agreement of the Lady Chief Justice and approved by Parliament, amend the Judicial Appointments Commission Regulations 2013 by increasing the total number of members of the Judicial Appointments Commission from 15 to 16, establishing new rules for the professional qualifications of the lawyer members, and expanding the list of offices that qualify a person to be the senior tribunal office-holder member.
The Central African Republic (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
The Central African Republic (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 update the existing 2020 sanctions framework concerning the Central African Republic to incorporate amendments mandated by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2745 (2024) and 2789 (2025).
These amendments primarily introduce new definitions for "armed group operating in the Central African Republic" and "associated individual" and subsequently amend provisions concerning the arms embargo, export of military goods, provision of technical assistance, financial services, and brokering activities to target these non-state actors directly, ensuring the UK's sanctions regime reflects its international obligations.
These Regulations, made by the Treasury using powers granted under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, introduce consequential amendments to primary and secondary UK financial legislation.
The regulations align existing laws, specifically mentioning the Banking Act 2009 and various 2014, 2019, and 2020 secondary legislation, with the broader changes stemming from the revocation of retained EU law concerning prudential regulation, taking effect on January 1st, 2026.
The Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2025
The Secretary of State, exercising powers under the Government of Wales Act 2006, enacted this Order to introduce necessary consequential amendments to existing legislation following the passing of the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024.
This Order modifies the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 to include infrastructure consent when considering site licences, amends the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 regarding consultation requirements related to government authorisation, and updates the Finance Act 2013 to incorporate infrastructure consent into rules governing the conversion of dwellings for non-residential use, ensuring legal alignment with the new infrastructure consenting process in Wales.