Health and Social Care Legislation
Regulations governing the NHS, healthcare provision, social care services, public health measures, and medical standards.
Correction Slip
This statutory instrument correction notice officially amends The Mental Health Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2026 by correcting a typographical error on page 1, specifically changing the reference year in footnote (a) from '2005' to the correct year, '2025', to align with the primary legislation being brought into force.
The Mental Health Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2026
These Regulations officially bring Sections 51 and 52 of the Mental Health Act 2025 into legal force starting April 6th, 2026.
Section 51 extends the Human Rights Act 1998 compatibility requirements to mental health services provided by private care providers across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, while Section 52 places a specific duty on the Secretary of State to review and report on the regulations concerning notification to the Care Quality Commission when individuals under eighteen are admitted as inpatients for mental health treatment, applicable only to England.
The Warm Home Discount (England and Wales) Regulations 2026
These Statutory Instruments continue the Warm Home Discount Scheme in England and Wales until March 31, 2031, re-enacting and amending provisions from the 2022 Regulations to combat fuel poverty.
The scheme mandates obligations on energy suppliers, primarily through a core spending obligation requiring the provision of a £150 prescribed rebate to eligible 'core group customers' identified by the Secretary of State, and a non-core spending obligation covering industry initiatives like energy efficiency improvements, advice provision, and debt write-off, all administered and enforced by the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (the Authority).
The Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage and Offshore Hydrogen Production (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026
These Regulations, made on 10th March 2026 and effective 6th April 2026, introduce amendments across six major pieces of UK health and safety legislation governing offshore installations and pipelines, primarily to formally incorporate activities related to Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and offshore hydrogen production into existing safety, management, regulatory, and reporting frameworks, ensuring these nascent energy sectors are regulated under consistent safety standards previously applied to the offshore oil and gas industry.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) (Variation) Order 2026
This Statutory Instrument, enacted by Order in Council, amends the 2013 Order which applies sections of the Health and Safety at Work etc.
Act 1974 outside of Great Britain.
Specifically, the Order updates the definition of 'offshore installation' within Article 4 of the 2013 Order to explicitly include structures used for the production of hydrogen, thereby extending UK health and safety legislation to these specific offshore activities starting from April 6, 2026.
The Scotland Act 1998 (Modification of Schedule 5) Order 2026
This Order, made under the Scotland Act 1998, temporarily modifies Schedule 5, which defines reserved matters, to grant the Scottish Parliament limited legislative competence concerning the identification and regulation of substances and devices used in assisted dying for terminally ill adults.
The legislative power conferred is conditional: Scottish Ministers can identify substances/devices via subordinate legislation only with the Secretary of State’s agreement, while the Secretary of State retains power to regulate those items without Scottish Minister agreement.
These exceptions apply only to Scottish Acts resulting from Bills passed before 7 May 2026, and the Scottish Parliament cannot use this limited power to mandate the content of the regulation or impose duties on the Secretary of State.
The Public Service Pensions Revaluation Order 2026
This statutory instrument, made by the Treasury, sets the specific percentage increases to be used for revaluing accrued pension rights within certain public service pension schemes for the period between 1st April 2025 and 31st March 2026, establishing an increase in prices of 3.8 per cent and an increase in earnings of 4.8 per cent, and specifies the dates the Order comes into force across different UK jurisdictions and schemes.
The Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 (Estimates and Accounts) (Amendment) Order 2025
This Order, made by HM Treasury under the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000, revises the list of designated central government bodies for the purpose of calculating supply estimates and resource accounts for the financial year ending March 31, 2026.
Specifically, it substitutes the entire Schedule of the principal Order (The Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 (Estimates and Accounts) Order 2025) with an updated list organized by government department, adding, renaming, or removing various public sector bodies.