Economy Legislation
Regulations governing economic policy, monetary matters, taxation, public spending, and market regulation.
The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2026
Expanded infected blood compensation eligibility and increased award amounts for childhood infections, interferon treatments, and unethical research practices.
These Regulations amend the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2025 to introduce new compensation categories and increase payment amounts for eligible infected and affected persons.
They establish a new severity level (2B) for Hepatitis B and C infections involving interferon treatment, create a financial loss award for potential earning capacity, and increase the autonomy award for those infected as children.
The instrument also expands the definition of unethical research practices and raises the associated award to £60,000 while updating various support scheme and winter fuel payment figures.
Authorized the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board to impose a training levy on industry employers for the years 2026, 2027, and 2028.
Establishes a statutory levy on employers within the engineering construction industry for three distinct periods covering 2026 through 2028.
It directs the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board to assess and collect payments based on employer emoluments and labor-only contract costs, while providing specific exemptions for small-scale employers and charitable organizations.
The Order applies to all employers engaged wholly or mainly in engineering construction activities in England, Wales, and Scotland.
The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Legal Aid: Anti-social Behaviour and Prevention and Investigation Measures) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026
Expanded civil legal aid to include respect orders and housing injunctions while restricting non-means-tested support for national security measures.
This Order expands the scope of civil legal aid in England and Wales to include proceedings related to respect orders, youth injunctions, and housing injunctions.
It directs that 'help at court' and 'investigative representation' are unavailable for proceedings involving Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures or foreign power threat activity.
Additionally, the Order mandates that only 'legal help'—and not broader legal services—is exempt from financial means testing for individuals subject to national security-related investigation notices.
The Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026
Mandated the delegation of specific planning decisions to local authority officers and capped the size of planning committees at 13 members.
These regulations mandate how local planning authorities in England must distribute decision-making powers between elected member committees and unelected officers for various types of planning applications.
The instrument requires smaller-scale applications, such as householder and minor residential projects, to be determined by officers, while allowing larger or more significant developments to be referred to a committee of no more than 13 members.
These requirements apply to all relevant local planning authorities in England beginning 31 October 2026.
The Energy Act 2023 (Commencement No. 5, Saving Provisions) Regulations 2026
Commenced new offshore abandonment charging provisions and established transitional protections for pending fee determinations.
These Regulations bring into force provisions of the Energy Act 2023 that reform how the UK government charges for the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas installations and pipelines.
The order repeals existing fee-setting powers in the Petroleum Act 1998 and brings into effect new expenditure recovery mechanisms, while maintaining the older fee structure for projects that are already underway or have submitted formal requests by 30 September 2026.
These rules apply to offshore installation operators and owners of submarine pipelines, excluding those dedicated to carbon capture and storage.
Corrected typographical errors and cross-reference numbers in the 2026 anti-money laundering regulations.
This document issues technical corrections to the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2026.
It amends specific cross-references within regulation 15 and regulation 26 to ensure the legal text accurately refers to the intended sub-paragraphs and numbered lists.
These corrections apply to the same financial institutions and reporting entities regulated under the original 2026 instrument.
The Offshore (Oil and Gas) Installation and Pipeline Abandonment Charges (Revocation) Regulations 2026
Replaced fixed decommissioning fees with a system of hourly charges and cost recovery for government work on offshore oil and gas abandonment programmes.
These regulations establish a new charging regime for the decommissioning and abandonment of offshore oil and gas installations and pipelines in the United Kingdom.
They authorize the Secretary of State to recover costs from persons who have been served with a 'section 29 notice' by applying hourly rates for administrative, decommissioning, and environmental specialist staff, plus additional expenses for commissioned work.
The regulations apply to all holders of abandonment notices for offshore installations and submarine pipelines, excluding carbon dioxide pipelines, and clarify that all such holders are jointly and severally liable for the accrued charges.
The Nuclear Safeguards (EU Exit and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
Updated nuclear material reporting deadlines, extended record retention to 30 years, and revised facility design questionnaires to align UK safeguards with international obligations.
These Regulations amend existing nuclear safeguards and fee structures to update reporting requirements, terminology, and administrative timelines for operators of qualifying nuclear facilities in the United Kingdom.
They direct operators to provide more detailed design information, extended records retention, and adjusted notice periods for the import and export of nuclear material while authorizing the Office for Nuclear Regulation to recover costs for its expanded oversight activities.
These rules apply to all nuclear facility operators, carriers, and agents handling qualifying nuclear material across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.