Economy Legislation
Regulations governing economic policy, monetary matters, taxation, public spending, and market regulation.
The Pollution Prevention and Control (Fees) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026
These Regulations increase the hourly rates used to calculate fees for environmental regulatory activities performed by the Secretary of State in Relation to the offshore oil and gas industry.
The instrument amends the rate for specialist officers from £210 to £256 and for non-specialist officers from £114 to £130 across several statutory frameworks, including those governing habitat conservation, offshore safety, and environmental impact assessments.
These changes apply to operators and entities subject to UK offshore licensing and environmental compliance monitoring in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The Value Added Tax (Amendment) Regulations 2026 modify the Capital Goods Scheme by amending the Value Added Tax Regulations 1995.
These regulations remove computer equipment from the list of capital items subject to input tax adjustments and increase the minimum expenditure threshold for land, buildings, and civil engineering works from £250,000 to £600,000.
These changes apply to VAT-registered owners of capital items in the United Kingdom, specifically those incurring capital expenditure on or after July 29, 2026.
The Automated Vehicles (Marketing Restrictions) Regulations 2026
These Regulations specify a list of eight terms, including 'automated', 'autonomous', and 'self-driving', which are restricted for use in the marketing, promotion, and supply of road vehicles or vehicle equipment in England, Wales, and Scotland.
From 7 January 2027, the use of these terms (or their grammatical variants) to describe a vehicle or its driving capability is limited to vehicles officially authorised under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024.
The restrictions apply to any person or business involved in the promotion or supply of road vehicles and associated hardware.
The Listed Events (Coverage) Regulations 2026
These Regulations define the technical and legal standards for broadcasting events of national interest in the United Kingdom under the listed events regime. They specify what constitutes live coverage, establish the criteria for adequate live coverage of multi-sport events, and set minimum requirements for alternative audiovisual and radio coverage of Group B events.
The rules apply to providers of relevant broadcasting and internet-based services and are enforced by the Office of Communications (Ofcom).
These Regulations prescribe the formal requirements and information that trade unions and employers must exchange when seeking or responding to requests for workplace access under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
The instrument mandates that unions provide specific details, including their certificate of independence, the purpose of access, and the identities of responsible officials, while requiring employers to respond within set parameters to agree to or contest the request.
It also establishes the procedures for the Central Arbitration Committee to be notified of any negotiated agreements, variations, or revocations, applying to all qualifying trade unions and employers in England, Wales, and Scotland.
The Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Amendment) Regulations 2026
These Regulations amend existing ecodesign and energy information frameworks to integrate recognition of the EU's 2024 Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and to rectify errors in previous legislation concerning household tumble dryers.
The instrument permits manufacturers, importers, and authorized representatives to meet British market obligations by complying with specific European Union requirements, provided declaration documents are translated into English.
Furthermore, it establishes precise commencement dates for tumble dryer regulations and inserts missing technical definitions and Calculation methods into existing schedules.
The regulations apply to any entity placing energy-related products, specifically household tumble dryers, on the market or putting them into service in Great Britain.
The Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
These Regulations amend the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009 to cap the interest rates for Plan 2 and Plan 3 student loans at 6% for a twelve-month period.
The order applies to student loan borrowers and repayment administrators in England and Wales, specifically targeting the interest calculations for undergraduate and postgraduate income-contingent loans.
The Secretary of State for Education and the Welsh Ministers exercise these powers to ensure that if the standard interest rate calculations exceed 6% between September 2026 and August 2027, the lower capped rate applies.
The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (Commencement No. 3) Regulations 2026
The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (Commencement No. 3) Regulations 2026 brings the remaining provisions of Part 4 of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 into legal effect on 7 January 2027.
These provisions establish restrictions on the marketing of vehicles in relation to automation and activate Schedule 5, which concerns the enforcement of these restrictions.
The Secretary of State issued these regulations to apply to the marketing and advertising of vehicles with automated features within the United Kingdom.