These Regulations bring into force the second tranche of provisions from the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 starting on 1st April 2026, specifically activating sections establishing new powers for investigating and recovering losses from fraud against public authorities outside of tax and social security, introducing criminal offences and administrative penalties for non-benefit payment fraud, and extending relevant Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 powers to authorized investigators.

This Statutory Instrument, made on March 25th, 2026, amends the preceding Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2022 by extending the overall period of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme by nine months, shifting the end date for the home-heating cost reduction target from March 31st, 2026, to December 31st, 2026.

The Order also adjusts several associated deadlines for remaining procedural steps, applications, and measure approvals under the ECO scheme across England, Wales, and Scotland, ensuring consistency with the newly defined final date.

The Crown Estate (Amendment) Act 2013 formally establishes the legal framework for the management and operational funding of the Crown Estate, transferring the income from the estate, which is currently surrendered to the Treasury by the Sovereign, to be legally controlled by Parliament through the Secretary of State.

The Act specifies that the net revenue generated by the Crown Estate must be paid to the Consolidated Fund, thereby consolidating its status as a national asset whose proceeds benefit the Exchequer, rather than being managed under an existing system of prerogative or convention.

The Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2019 serves to formally remove enactments from the statute book that have become obsolete, spent, or unnecessary.

This legislation periodically cleanses the statute book by specifying which parts of previous Acts are repealed and clarifies the saving and transitional provisions related to those repeals, thereby ensuring the continuing legislation remains current while removing historical legal clutter.

These Regulations establish the Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority (CCA), encompassing Brighton and Hove City Council, East Sussex County Council, and West Sussex County Council, as a body corporate effective from the date the regulations were made, with mayoral functions commencing from May 2028.

The CCA is granted concurrent functions related to local transport planning, data sharing for crime reduction, and economic development, alongside powers for the authority to pay grants.

The regulations define the constitution of the CCA, mandate its funding through contributions from constituent councils based on population share, and set out the election cycle, term of office, and executive powers of the directly elected Mayor.

These 2026 Regulations, which apply to England and Wales, amend the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Regulations 2013 to formally incorporate elected members, such as councillors and mayors of various local bodies, into the scheme, treating them as employees for pension purposes, and establishing definitions for eligible members, scheme employers, and rules for pensionable pay based on allowances received, while also making consequential amendments across numerous existing Combined Authority and County Authority establishment orders.

This Statutory Instrument amends the Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 to update procedural references and introduce significant changes to how development proposals of strategic importance (PSI applications) are handled within Greater London, notably by inserting a new Category 3J covering developments involving 50 or more residential units, which triggers specific notification and potential direction powers for the Mayor of London, while also extending the Mayor's direction power to Category 3D development.

These Regulations officially bring into force key provisions of the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023 starting April 1st, 2026.

Specifically, they activate Section 1, which creates a new offence for intentional harassment, alarm, or distress motivated by sex under the Public Order Act 1986, and Section 2, which obliges the Secretary of State to issue guidance to police forces regarding this new offence, alongside Section 3 concerning consequential legal amendments.