Culture and Sport Legislation
Legislative framework governing cultural institutions, media broadcasting, sports regulation, arts funding, and heritage protection.
The Enterprise Act 2002 (Amendment of Section 58 Considerations) Order 2025
The Enterprise Act 2002 (Amendment of Section 58 Considerations) Order 2025, effective July 24, 2025, amends the Enterprise Act 2002 to modernize its approach to media mergers.
It updates terminology, replacing 'newspapers' with 'news media' and including broadcasting, thus expanding and clarifying the public interest considerations involved in merger reviews.
These amendments also entail procedural changes in designated sections of the Act and the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013.
A savings provision protects the effects of pre-existing decisions.
The Communications Act 2003 (Restrictions on the Advertising of Less Healthy Food) (Effective Date) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
These regulations amend the Communications Act 2003, delaying the implementation of restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink.
The effective date is pushed back from October 1, 2025, to January 5, 2026.
The changes affect several sections of the Act, specifically those outlining the objectives for such advertisements and the prohibition of paid advertising for less healthy food and drink.
An explanatory note references a full impact assessment conducted previously, explaining the lack of a new assessment for this amendment.
The Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (St Mawes to Cremyll) Order 2025
The Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (St Mawes to Cremyll) Order 2025 sets June 4th, 2025, as the end of the access preparation period for coastal land between St Mawes and Cremyll in Cornwall.
This follows the Secretary of State's approval of Natural England's plans for a long-distance coastal path, as outlined in several reports submitted in 2019 and 2020.
The order references the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, and clarifies the legal framework for public access to this section of the proposed path.
The Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (Newquay to Penzance) (No. 2) Order 2025
This order establishes June 4th, 2025, as the end of the access preparation period for the coastal margin section of the England Coast Path between Newquay and Penzance.
This decision follows the Secretary of State's approval of Natural England's proposals, detailed in several reports submitted in 2019 and 2020.
The order cites the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 as its legal basis.
The Registration of Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Registration Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
These regulations, effective May 27, 2025, amend the Registration of Marriages Regulations 2015 and the Civil Partnership (Registration Provisions) Regulations 2005.
The changes mandate new forms for marriage and civil partnership registrations, incorporating requirements from the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024.
These additions require the responsible authority statement to specify whether a detained individual is serving a whole life sentence and if subject to a whole life order.
The changes apply to England and Wales, and updated Welsh language forms are also included.
The Licensing Act 2003 (Victory in Europe Day Licensing Hours) Order 2025
This Order, made under the Licensing Act 2003, extends licensing hours for on-premises alcohol sales and related activities in England and Wales from 11 pm on May 8th, 2025, to 1 am on May 9th, 2025, to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
The extension applies only to premises already open during the specified times and excludes off-premises alcohol sales and regulated entertainment, unless served concurrently with on-premises alcohol sales.
Parliament approved a draft of this Order.
The Ivory Prohibitions (Exemptions) (Process and Procedure) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
These regulations amend the Ivory Prohibitions (Exemptions) (Process and Procedure) Regulations 2022 to add three national museums—in Merseyside, Northern Ireland, and Wales—to the list of institutions authorized to advise the Secretary of State on applications for exemption certificates under the Ivory Act 2018.
The amendment aims to improve the expertise and geographic reach of advice provided.
The Gambling Act 2005 (Gaming Tables in Casinos) (Definitions) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
These regulations amend the Gambling Act 2005 by redefining "gaming table" in casinos.
The changes clarify that only apparatus designed or adapted for real games of chance and requiring staff operation count toward the ratio determining the permissible number of gaming machines.
This impacts casino licensing and affects the number of gaming machines allowed in casinos based on the number of qualifying gaming tables.
The regulations apply to England, Wales, and Scotland, coming into force on July 22, 2025.