Defence Legislation
Laws and policies relating to military operations, defense procurement, armed forces administration, and national security strategy.
The Civil Nuclear Police Authority (Borrowing Limit) (Amendment) Order 2025, effective September 18, 2025, amends the Energy Act 2004.
It raises the CNPA's borrowing limit from £10 million to £30 million, enabling the authority to adequately fund its responsibilities for protecting civil nuclear sites and materials in England, Wales, and Scotland.
The amendment was approved by the Treasury.
The Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Suitability for Fixed Term Recall) Order 2025
This Order modifies the Criminal Justice Act 2003, changing the conditions for automatic release of recalled prisoners in England and Wales.
It introduces stricter criteria, including a new schedule of offenses that disqualify prisoners from automatic release after 28 days (or 14 days for sentences less than 12 months).
The revised criteria consider factors such as age, sentence length, offense type, terrorist-related activity, and multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) levels.
The amendments aim to improve public safety by retaining those deemed a higher risk in custody for extended periods.
The Investigatory Powers (Communications Data) (Relevant Public Authorities and Designated Senior Officers) Regulations 2025
These regulations amend the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, specifying which public authorities can access communications data and for what reasons.
The changes add several new authorities, like the Department for Business and Trade and the Security Industry Authority, while others, such as some ambulance services, lose this power.
The amendments also fine-tune access for existing authorities, such as the Department for Transport, by limiting access depending on the specific agency within the department.
These alterations are intended to improve the targeting of investigations while maintaining safeguards against misuse.
The Road Vehicles (Type-Approval) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025
The Road Vehicles (Type-Approval) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 amend Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/79, updating language in Article 5 to use terms such as 'must' instead of 'shall have to'.
The regulations introduce a new Annex X outlining the procedure for extending GB type-approvals for eCall in-vehicle systems operating over circuit-switched networks.
They also allow EU-approved eCall components and separate technical units to be treated similar to GB-approved parts, enabling exemptions from some tests.
The Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2025
This order amends the Terrorism Act 2000 by adding Palestine Action, Maniacs Murder Cult (MMC), and Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) to the list of proscribed organizations.
The order cites the Secretary of State's belief that these organizations engage in terrorism, and it was approved by both Houses of Parliament.
The order also includes an explanatory note which clarifies that the entry for Palestine Action refers specifically to the UK based organization, and declares no significant impact on public or private sectors is expected, therefore a full impact assessment was not considered necessary.
The Haiti (Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
The Haiti (Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 amend the 2022 regulations to incorporate UN Security Council Resolution 2752 (2024).
This resolution expands the arms embargo on Haiti to include a broader spectrum of military goods and related items.
The amendments update definitions, clarify prohibitions on the transfer of military technology and the provision of associated financial services or technical assistance, and introduce new offenses relating to these broader sanctions.
The regulations also modify existing penalties to match the updated prohibitions.
The National Security Act 2023 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2025
These regulations, the second set under the National Security Act 2023, bring into effect Part 4 of that Act, specifically the foreign activities and foreign influence registration scheme.
This scheme starts on July 1st, 2025, and applies across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The regulations cite the power conferred by section 100(1) of the 2023 Act and provide for detailed commencement information.
An impact assessment is available online and in hard copy.
The National Security Act 2023 (Foreign Activities and Foreign Influence Registration Scheme: Exemptions for Certain Foreign Power Investment Funds, Education, Government Administration and Public Bodies) Regulations 2025
- Benefits and Welfare
- Defence
- Devolution
- Economy
- Education
- Foreign Policy
- Justice
- Local Government
- Transport
These regulations, enacted under the National Security Act 2023, exempt specific categories of activities from the foreign activities and foreign influence registration scheme.
The exemptions cover certain foreign power investment funds focused primarily on overseas investments, educational arrangements supporting students in the UK, administrative and technical services provided by foreign powers, and arrangements involving UK public bodies (excluding those related to political influence).
The aim is to streamline the registration process while maintaining national security.