The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 amend the 1999 Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations.

Specifically, they revise the rules concerning the types of zero-emission vehicles that can be driven under certain licence categories in Great Britain.

The changes primarily relax restrictions on the maximum authorized mass of zero-emission vehicles that category B licence holders (standard car licence) can operate, allowing for larger vehicles and trailer combinations, with some stipulations on age and experience in certain cases.

The regulations also address the age restrictions for driving some medium-sized goods vehicles specified within the updated regulations, setting a single legal age of 17.

This legislation revokes and replaces previous regulations largely based on assimilated EU law.

This Order modifies the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 to expand legal aid access for domestic abuse cases.

It broadens the definition of 'domestic abuse,' replaces outdated terms like 'domestic violence' with the modern terminology, and extends coverage to encompass numerous procedures connected to domestic abuse protection orders.

Furthermore, the Order adjusts related civil and criminal legal aid regulations to ensure consistency and effectiveness in providing aid.

This Order modifies the Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) Order 2014 to extend whistleblower protection to individuals disclosing information about sanctions-related activities undertaken by the Secretaries of State for Business and Trade, Transport, and the Treasury.

This expansion ensures greater accountability and transparency within the government's sanctions regime.

These regulations set the commencement dates for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Act 2025.

Key provisions, including the transfer of the Institute's property, rights, and liabilities to the Secretary of State, come into effect the day after the regulations are made.

Further provisions, including the transfer of functions and the abolition of the Institute, take effect on June 1st, 2025, at 2:00 a.m.

The regulations aim to streamline governance and clarify responsibilities, but potential negative consequences such as increased bureaucracy or disruption to existing structures are possible.

The Folkestone Harbour Revision Order (Amendment) Order 2025 corrects an error in the 2017 order.

It removes the phrase “not exceeding the statutory maximum” from articles 12(2), 14(2), and 15(2), thereby removing the upper limit on fines for non-compliance with regulations concerning navigation safety and lighting.

This change reflects the removal of such limits in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

The order applies to England and Wales and took effect on June 10, 2025.

The Price Marking (Amendment) Order 2025 amends the 2024 Order, postponing its effective date to April 6, 2026.

Key changes include updated references to the Weights and Measures Act 1985, the Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations 2006, and EU Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011, concerning food information for consumers.

The amendment to article 9 provides greater flexibility regarding price reduction announcements for businesses.

The Manston Airport Development Consent (Amendment) Order 2025 amends the 2022 order to extend the time limit for compulsory land acquisition from one to five years.

This amendment, made under the Planning Act 2008, addresses potential delays in the airport development project.

The order was signed by Kayla Marks, Head of the Transport and Works Act Orders Unit at the Department for Transport, on May 19, 2025 and comes into effect May 20, 2025.

The Medical Devices (Amendment) (Great Britain) Regulations 2025 amend the 2002 Medical Devices Regulations by removing specific revocation dates for assimilated EU laws.

This action maintains the existing regulatory framework for medical devices in Great Britain, ensuring public health safety, by removing now unnecessary dates for the revocation of several EU regulations.

The regulations came into force on May 24, 2025, applying to England, Wales, and Scotland.