Legislation Published October 2025
UK legislation and statutory instruments introduced in October 2025.
Summary
- 31st Oct 25 HM Treasury enacted regulations establishing the framework for designating overseas financial recognition regimes, coordinating regulatory functions, and amending secondary legislation governing insurance and short selling. View
- 31st Oct 25 The Treasury enacted UK regulations to implement the UK-Switzerland Mutual Recognition Agreement for financial services, establishing a register, setting regulator duties, and amending existing laws to facilitate market access for Swiss suppliers starting January 2026. View
- 31st Oct 25 The Order formally corrected specific errors and omissions within the M5 Junction 10 Development Consent Order 2025 following statutory requests from interested parties. View
- 31st Oct 25 The first commencement regulations brought specified sections (65, 66, and 73) of the Football Governance Act 2025 into force on 1st November 2025. View
- 30th Oct 25 The Order increased the maximum compensation limits for miscarriages of justice payable by the Secretary of State under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Armed Forces Act 2006. View
- 30th Oct 25 The document amended fees payable to the Registrar of Companies for incorporation, registration, and ongoing compliance across multiple entity types, effective February 1, 2026, and revoked certain fees related to document access. View
- 30th Oct 25 The Order extended modified sections 70, 75, and 76 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 to the Bailiwick of Guernsey, adapting UK immigration controls like ETAs and visa penalties for local application. View
- 29th Oct 25 Legislation was enacted to provide tax exemptions and relief for compensation payments made under the Post Office Capture Redress Scheme, effective from late October 2025. View
- 29th Oct 25 A statutory order authorized the University for the Creative Arts to grant research awards for a fixed three-year term beginning in December 2025. View
- 28th Oct 25 The Regulations amended definitions, introduced new criteria for identifying bathing waters based on feasibility and safety, allowed for flexible bathing season determination, modified management measures for 'poor' waters, and updated pollution reporting and monitoring requirements. View
- 28th Oct 25 The Regulations specified the public bodies now recognized as 'qualifying competent authorities' permitted to engage in joint, national security-related personal data processing with UK intelligence services under the Data Protection Act 2018. View
- 28th Oct 25 The Mona Offshore Wind Farm (Correction) Order 2025 was enacted to formally correct various errors and omissions found within the principal Mona Offshore Wind Farm Order 2025. View
- 28th Oct 25 The Order enacted textual corrections and amendments to the previous Byers Gill Solar Order 2025 relating to article and paragraph references and public rights of way provisions, effective from October 27th, 2025. View
- 27th Oct 25 The Lord Chancellor enacted the Order, which amends fees for non-contentious probate documents, increases fees for Public Guardian applications, and introduces fee exemptions for certain insolvency disclosures and prisoner parole referrals. View
- 27th Oct 25 The Regulations amended the criteria used to determine if a school in England is designated as 'coasting' by substituting a new definition in the 2022 Regulations, effective from November 17, 2025. View
- 23rd Oct 25 The Minister for the Civil Service amended the 2014 and 2023 Public Service Pension Regulations, effective 17th November 2025, to provide rectification mechanisms for remediable service arising from age discrimination in transitional protection, including provisions on voiding statements, optional retrospective benefit assessments, and clarifying beneficiary decision-making. View
- 23rd Oct 25 The Regulations set 18th November 2025 as the commencement date for several sections of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 related to identity verification, director conduct, and notification duties, while implementing transitional provisions for existing directors and Persons with Significant Control. View
- 23rd Oct 25 The Secretary of State exercised powers under various Pension Acts to make miscellaneous amendments correcting errors, adding definitions (like 'actuarial valuation'), and removing disclosure requirements from several occupational pension scheme regulations, effective December 2025. View
- 23rd Oct 25 * Specific commencement provisions of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 were scheduled for 18th November 2025, accompanied by transitional rules for existing company officers and PSC identity verification. View
- 22nd Oct 25 The Regulations amended Commission Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 to extend exceptions regarding non-organic animal rearing and feed use until the end of 2026 and clarified the use criteria for the food additive gellan gum in organic production. View
- 22nd Oct 25 Mandated compliance with UN Regulations 155 (Cyber Security) and 156 (Software Updates) for GB type-approval by amending key vehicle approval legislation and setting implementation deadlines. View
- 22nd Oct 25 The Order extended Section 75 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 to Jersey with modifications, setting up the legal basis for Electronic Travel Authorisations in the Bailiwick and granting the Jersey Minister associated regulatory powers. View
- 21st Oct 25 The Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) Regulations 2025 amended EU drone regulations by replacing C-class prefixes with UK-prefixes, modifying scope definitions, introducing mandatory remote identification and geo-awareness requirements phased in by 2028, and shifting regulatory approval powers to the market surveillance authority. View
- 21st Oct 25 The Regulations amended the 2018 fees regulations by modifying entry clearance and leave to remain fee exceptions, adjusting sponsor licence fees, and establishing a fee exemption for certain nationality review applications. View
- 21st Oct 25 The Order extended the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 provisions concerning Electronic Travel Authorisations to the Isle of Man, amending the principal 2008 Order accordingly. View
- 21st Oct 25 The Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2025 amended the 2018 Fees Regulations to extend their general application by three years and altered the expiry terms for the safety communications fee entry. View
- 21st Oct 25 Legislation set a £153 fee for hovercraft registration certificates and removed a corresponding erroneous fee from existing Merchant Shipping Regulations. View
- 20th Oct 25 * The regulations imposed permanent 40 mph and 60 mph speed limits on specified lengths of the M32 motorway between junctions 1 and 3, effective November 11, 2025. View
- 20th Oct 25 The Proscribed Organisations (Name Change) Order 2017, which listed 'Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham' as a name for Al-Qa’ida, was revoked to remove that specific name association. View
- 17th Oct 25 The Order amended the 1989 Order, updating the application of key maritime enactments, including casualty investigations, pollution control, safety rules, and fee structures, to govern UK hovercraft operations. View
- 16th Oct 25 Parliament approved an Order in Council extending the expiry of the Armed Forces Act 2006 from December 2025 to December 2026. View
- 16th Oct 25 The Secretary of State corrected errors and omissions in The Portishead Branch Line (MetroWest Phase 1) Order 2022, leading to the enactment of The Portishead Branch Line (MetroWest Phase 1) (Correction) Order 2025. View
- 16th Oct 25 The Treasury made regulations effective April 1st, 2026, defining 'qualifying retail, hospitality or leisure hereditament' for business rate relief purposes in England and Wales. View
- 16th Oct 25 The regulations amended the requirements for glucose monitoring for Group 2 driving licence holders, updating language related to blood glucose testing to allow for broader, appropriate monitoring systems. View
- 16th Oct 25 The Regulations amended Schedule 4 of the 2012 School Admissions Regulations to formally insert details for the Nancy Reuben Primary School and its affiliated Rabbinic authority. View
- 16th Oct 25 The Treasury officially used powers from the Finance Act 2021 to designate specific map-defined areas within the Anglesey Freeport as special tax sites for enhanced capital allowance purposes, with the regulations commencing on November 21, 2025. View
- 16th Oct 25 The Treasury designated the Deeside, Warren Hall, and Wrexham Industrial Estate areas as special tax sites for enhanced capital allowance purposes under the Finance Act 2021, effective November 21st, 2025. View
- 16th Oct 25 The Order extended the Global Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons Sanctions Regulations 2025, with modifications, to specified British overseas territories, making the Governor the responsible authority for sanctions administration there. View
- 15th Oct 25 The Privy Council recognized the joint Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) degree awarded by Harper Adams University and the University of Keele, bringing the recognition into force on 5th November 2025 across the UK. View
- 15th Oct 25 The Secretary of State for Transport issued the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Development Consent (Correction) Order 2025 on October 14, 2025, to amend specific drafting errors within the previous 2024 Development Consent Order relating to document references, statutory wording, and the inclusion of environmental assessment addenda. View
- 14th Oct 25 The Treasury substituted a new investigation regulation into the 2024 Regulations, introduced transitional periods for firms seeking permissions related to a new regulated activity, and made consequential amendments across primary, assimilated direct, and subordinate legislation including various sanctions regimes. View
- 14th Oct 25 The Order amended the 1998 Order to update HBAP deadlines, introduce flexibility in overpayment deductions, substitute subsidy calculation sums for 2024-2025, revise incentive payments for accuracy initiatives, and update Welsh rent rebate deduction factors for 2025/2026. View
- 14th Oct 25 The Order officially amended the Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) Order 2014, substituting “Palestine” for “Palestinian Territories” in the list of nationals requiring a transit visa. View
- 14th Oct 25 The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2025 added Botswana to the list of countries whose nationals require a transit visa to transit through the United Kingdom. View
- 14th Oct 25 The regulations established specific commencement dates between October 2025 and January 2028 for enacting provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, particularly those revoking retained EU financial services law, while simultaneously providing savings for ongoing prospectus activity and PISCES operations. View
- 14th Oct 25 The Secretary of State formally corrected defined errors within the Oaklands Farm Solar Park Order 2025 concerning development consent, implementing changes via a schedule of substitutions and renumbering. View
- 14th Oct 25 The regulations amended Schedule 21 of the Sentencing Code by inserting new statutory aggravating factors related to relationship breakdown and asphyxiation methods when determining minimum life sentences for murder. View
- 14th Oct 25 The Regulations doubled fixed penalties under certain street works regulations, modified the basis for charging for unreasonably prolonged occupation, and ring-fenced 50% of excess occupation charge proceeds for highway maintenance in England. View
- 13th Oct 25 * The Secretary of State exercised powers under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 to amend the 2001 Regulations, introducing Schedule 6A for updated noise measurement methods and establishing transitional arrangements. View
- 13th Oct 25 * The statutory instrument increased scheme payment amounts under the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme by 49% for diagnoses occurring on or after 4th November 2025. View
- 10th Oct 25 The Secretary of State revoked the Online Safety (CSEA Content Reporting by Regulated User-to-User Service Providers) Regulations 2025 under powers granted by the Online Safety Act 2023. View
- 10th Oct 25 The Order amended the 2023 Order to authorize Hult International Business School Ltd to grant specific taught awards up to Master’s level for a fixed term between December 2025 and December 2029. View
- 10th Oct 25 The Order varied the Power to Award Degrees etc. (Hull College Group) Order of Council 2015 to extend the validity of Hull College Group's competence to award specified degrees until March 30, 2029. View
- 9th Oct 25 The instrument revoked the prior regulations that scheduled specific child protection reporting duties under the Online Safety Act 2023 to commence on November 3rd, 2025. View
- 9th Oct 25 The Order authorised Walbrook Institute London Limited to grant specified taught awards for a fixed period between September 1, 2026, and August 30, 2029, following consultation with the relevant advisory body. View
- 8th Oct 25 The Secretary of State issued The East Yorkshire Solar Farm (Correction) Order 2025 to rectify specific textual errors within the original development consent Order dated on September 19, 2025. View
- 1st Oct 25 OFCOM established the Wireless Telegraphy (Licence Charges for the 2100 MHz Frequency Band) Regulations 2025, setting one-off and index-linked annual charges for 2100 MHz spectrum access, effective late 2025 and 2026, while revoking the 2021 charges regulations. View
The Financial Services (Overseas Recognition Regime Designations) Regulations 2025 establish the framework under which HM Treasury can designate the laws and practices of other countries or territories as equivalent to UK financial services and markets law, exercising powers granted by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023.
The Regulations define what constitutes an 'overseas recognition regime designation,' grant the Treasury power to impose conditions, require decision-making coordination among the Treasury and key regulators (FCA, PRA, Bank of England), and introduce specific information-gathering powers.
Furthermore, the document amends existing legislation regarding insurance and short selling regulations to align them with this new designation regime.
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (Mutual Recognition Agreement) (Switzerland) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made by the Treasury using powers under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, establish the domestic legal framework necessary to implement the Mutual Recognition Agreement on Financial Services between the UK and Switzerland, effective from January 1st, 2026.
The core of the document details the registration process managed by the FCA for 'Registered Swiss Suppliers,' outlines supervisory and cooperation duties for the FCA, PRA, and Bank of England, and incorporates mechanisms for product intervention, information gathering, supervisory prohibitions, and prudential safeguards specific to services provided under this arrangement, alongside amending related UK legislation like the RAO and the Financial Promotion Order.
The M5 Junction 10 Development Consent (Correction) Order 2025
This statutory instrument, the M5 Junction 10 Development Consent (Correction) Order 2025, formally amends errors found in the preceding 2025 Development Consent Order (DCO).
The Secretary of State made these corrections after receiving written requests from the applicant and National Highways, exercising powers under the Planning Act 2008, specifically to rectify issues concerning time limits, authority designations, and documentation references listed in the attached schedule.
The Football Governance Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made pursuant to the Football Governance Act 2025, enact the first set of commencement provisions, bringing specific sections of the primary Act into force on 1st November 2025.
Specifically, regulation 2 activates sections 65 (power for the Regulator to require information), 66 (provisions for expert reports on clubs), and 73 (rules on privileged communications), establishing foundational regulatory powers for the Independent Football Regulator.
The Compensation for Miscarriages of Justice (Alteration of Overall Compensation Limits) Order 2025
This Order, made under the powers conferred by the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Armed Forces Act 2006, increases the maximum financial compensation limits payable by the Secretary of State for miscarriages of justice. Specifically, it raises the limit from £1 million to £1,300,000 for severe cases involving detention of 10 years or more, and from £500,000 to £650,000 for other cases, affecting both civilian convictions (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) and Court Martial convictions, with transitional rules governing applications received before and after the Order comes into force.
The Registrar of Companies (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, made under the powers of the Companies Act 2006, revise the fees payable for various company registration and administrative functions, effective from February 1st, 2026.
These regulations amend fees for companies, overseas companies, limited liability partnerships, limited partnerships (including Scottish entities), and European Economic Interest Groupings, generally increasing many of the established charges to reflect increased costs, while also revoking certain fees concerning document inspection and copying, allowing the Registrar discretion to set such fees administratively going forward.
The Immigration (Guernsey) Order 2025
This Order, issued by His Majesty in Council on October 15, 2025, extends specific modified provisions of the UK's Nationality and Borders Act 2022 to the Bailiwick of Guernsey, effective upon commencement regulations made by the States of Guernsey Committee for Home Affairs.
The extension primarily covers visa penalty provisions (Section 70, establishing the application of UK rules locally), the introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) within the Guernsey immigration context (Section 75, amending the Immigration Act 1971), and amendments to carrier liability rules under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (Section 76).
The modifications ensure that the application of these UK provisions is tailored to Guernsey, substituting references to the UK with 'the Bailiwick' or 'the Committee' where appropriate, although fines collected remain payable to the UK's Consolidated Fund.
The Post Office Capture Redress Scheme (Tax Exemptions and Relief) Regulations 2025 implement tax relief measures for compensation payments made under the scheme designed to redress individuals adversely affected by the Post Office's 'Capture system.' These regulations, made by the Treasury under powers from the Finance Act 2020, specifically ensure that compensation payouts are exempt from Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax, and Corporation Tax, and provide relief from Inheritance Tax, applying these exemptions retrospectively to payments received or disposals made from October 27, 2025.