The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Markets in Financial Instruments) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 amend the 2017 regulations, expanding the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) ability to request information and intervene in matters concerning commodity derivatives to encompass 'applicable OTC commodity derivatives'.

The amendments extend the FCA's powers to include options, futures, and contracts for difference relating to commodities traded on UK trading venues, but which are not classified as financial instruments.

These changes came into effect immediately after relevant paragraphs in Schedule 2 of the 2023 Financial Services and Markets Act were enacted, applying to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The Bank Recovery and Resolution (Amendment) Regulations 2025 amend the 2014 Order to allow the Bank of England to set transitional periods and minimum requirements for own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL) for financial institutions.

This provides flexibility for banks to meet MREL requirements over time while maintaining effective supervision, drawing upon the Bank of England's Statement of Policy, and considering the potential availability of recapitalisation payments.

The regulations also clarify the inclusion of transitional MREL in the definition of minimum own funds and eligible liabilities, and remove a power for the Bank relating to technical standards.

The Bank Resolution (Recapitalisation) Act 2025 (Commencement) Regulations 2025, enacted by the Treasury, bring sections 1 to 7 of the Bank Resolution (Recapitalisation) Act 2025 into effect on July 16th, 2025.

These sections cover recapitalisation payments, reporting requirements, notification to parliamentary committees, reimbursement procedures, a code of practice, and amendments to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the Banking Act 2009.

The regulations aim to provide a timely and effective framework for addressing the financial stability of banks.

These regulations exempt from income tax payments made under the Department for Work and Pensions' disability premium compensation scheme and its Northern Ireland equivalent.

The exemption retroactively covers payments received on or after December 18, 2024.

This action addresses a court ruling that highlighted unfair treatment of certain universal credit claimants who lost disability premiums when transitioning from legacy benefits.

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 Subsidy Control (Subsidies and Schemes of Interest or Particular Interest) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, effective August 4th, 2025, amend the 2022 Subsidy Control Regulations.

The key change increases the threshold for subsidies deemed 'of particular interest' from £10 million to £25 million in non-sensitive sectors.

This amendment impacts how public authorities must refer subsidies before disbursement, as schemes enabling these higher-value subsidies are considered 'schemes of particular interest' under the 2022 Act.

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 Football Spectators (Seating) (Amendment) (England) Order 2025 updates the Football Spectators (Seating) Order 2022 to reflect Everton Football Club's relocation to a new stadium, the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The amendment changes the address listed in Schedule 2 of the 2022 Order to the new stadium's location.

The Order ensures accurate licensing information and maintains regulatory compliance.