Browse regulations

This Order amends the Power to Award Degrees etc. (New College Durham) Order of Council 2017 by substituting article 2 to grant New College Durham (company number 07195175) competence to award degrees for an indefinite period, and omits articles 3 and 4 from the principal Order.

This is a permissive regulation that grants degree-awarding powers to a specific institution — it does not restrict competition or impose costs on businesses. Removing this would disrupt students and the institution without producing any economic benefit. Degree-awarding authority is a narrow, institution-specific administrative change that does not constitute the kind of burdensome regulatory intervention that restricts supply, distorts markets, or harms Britons generally.

Amendment to Criminal Procedure Rules 2020 adding: rule 2.12 (Duties of justices' legal advisers in magistrates' courts); case management provisions requiring defendants to provide contact information at first hearing and factors for adjournment decisions; technical amendments to forms and court records; new rules 7.5-7.6 on custody notice and court reception arrangements; and related amendments to Parts 9 and 14.

These are procedural court rules governing administration of justice, not economic regulation. They impose no costs on commerce, trade, or business formation. Rule 2.12 codifies existing judicial adviser functions to ensure lay justices receive proper legal guidance. Custody rules (7.5-7.6) set deadlines preventing unnecessary detention delays. Defendant information requirements enable effective court communication. Without these rules, Britons would face less consistent court procedures, potential arbitrary decision-making, and poorer protection against unnecessary custody delays — outcomes that would harm defendants and victims alike.

Amends the Merchant Shipping (Counting and Registration of Persons on Board Passenger Ships) Regulations 1999 to remove EU-related definitions and align with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) 1974. Extends certain compliance deadlines from 2023 to 2025, modifies voyage category references, updates exemption provisions, and makes associated fee amendments. Primarily a post-Brexit tidying-up exercise to replace EU references with international SOLAS equivalents.

Deleting this regulation would remove the legal framework for counting and registering passengers on passenger ships, creating safety risks and regulatory gaps. While this amendment largely removes EU references and aligns with SOLAS standards post-Brexit, the core safety function—ensuring accurate passenger manifests for emergency response and life-saving purposes—remains essential. The international SOLAS framework these regulations implement exists because maritime disasters demonstrated the fatal consequences of inadequate passenger counting. Removing the regulatory framework would leave ship operators without clear legal obligations, complicate emergency response procedures, and undermine Britain's standing in international maritime safety cooperation.

Technical amendment rules to the Civil Procedure Rules 1998, primarily: renaming 'County Court Money Claims Centre' and 'County Court Business Centre' to 'Civil National Business Centre'; adding definitions of 'hearing'; modernising language (his/their); amending applications procedure to allow determination without hearings in certain circumstances; strengthening statement of truth requirements for those unable to read documents; adding new rules for appeals in contempt proceedings; and various other procedural clarifications and refinements across multiple Parts of the CPR.

These are purely procedural court administration amendments that impose no economic regulation, do not restrict trade or business activity, and do not create regulatory burdens. The changes to hearing procedures, statements of truth, and contempt appeals are technical refinements that improve court efficiency without restricting individual liberty or economic freedom. As procedural rules governing how civil courts operate rather than rules regulating economic activity, they fall outside the scope of regulations that burden Britons.

Commencement order bringing into force section 142 and Schedule 18 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017, which impose a 'late night levy' - a mandatory charge on premises selling alcohol between midnight and 6am to fund policing and related services. The levy is set by local licensing authorities.

The late night levy is a discriminatory tax on late-night hospitality businesses based solely on operating hours, not actual costs imposed. It burdens small independent venues disproportionately compared to larger operators who can absorb costs, acts as a barrier to entry in the nightlife sector, and effectively penalises a legitimate business activity. Such sector-specific taxation based on arbitrary timing restrictions violates free market principles of neutral treatment; if late-night venues impose externalities, these should be addressed through general mechanisms or site-specific interventions, not a blanket levy on an entire category of lawful economic activity.

The Electronic Money, Payment Card Interchange Fee and Payment Services (Amendment) Regulations 2023 amend three payment services regulations. Key changes include: (1) inserting climate change and environmental targets into FCA and Payment Systems Regulator regulatory principles, requiring regard for sustainable growth consistent with the 2050 net-zero target and Environment Act targets; (2) granting the PSR extensive new directions powers over payment card schemes, operators, PSPs, processing entities and technical service providers regarding interchange fees, operations, rules and practices; (3) adding numerous payment-related definitions; (4) modifying how 2000 Act provisions apply to electronic money institutions; and (5) establishing asset pooling rules for safeguarding relevant assets.

The climate change provisions represent regulatory mission creep, inserting environmental policy objectives into financial regulators whose mandate should be prudential supervision and market integrity. This forces FCA and PSR to weigh climate considerations in all their functions, creating uncertainty, potential discriminatory treatment of sectors, and regulatory capture risk. The sweeping new powers granted to PSR under regulation 4A to direct payment card schemes on operations, fees, and practices are extensive government interventions in market mechanics that will increase compliance costs, reduce competitiveness of UK payment systems relative to jurisdictions like Singapore or UAE, and could distort pricing. The original retained EU regulations focused on consumer protection and transparency — these amendments expand regulatory scope beyond that foundation without demonstrated market failure justification.

This Order appoints specific days for provisions of the Digital Economy Act 2010 to come into force: section 19 (powers in relation to internet domain registries) for consultation purposes on 17th July 2023, and sections 19, 20, and 21 fully on 6th April 2024. These provisions grant the Secretary of State powers to regulate internet domain registries, appoint managers, and allow court applications to alter registry constitutions.

This Order merely sets implementation dates for existing statutory provisions and creates no independent regulatory burden. Unlike substantive regulations, an Appointed Day Order is administrative in nature. More importantly, the underlying policy regarding internet domain registries addresses genuine public interest concerns: .uk domain registries operate as natural monopolies with critical infrastructure implications for UK's digital economy. Without basic regulatory oversight of domain registries, there is meaningful risk of market failure affecting internet stability, security, and fair access for UK businesses. The provisions would exist regardless of this Order; deleting it would merely delay implementation without reducing any regulatory cost.

These Regulations amend four EU Commission Regulations concerning Salmonella reduction targets in poultry flocks (turkeys, laying hens, broilers, and breeding flocks). They update the recognized laboratory standards for alternative Salmonella detection and typing methods from ISO 16140-2 to EN ISO 16140-2 (for detection) or EN ISO 16140-6 (for typing validation).

Retained EU law imposing technical laboratory standards for Salmonella testing methodology on poultry producers and labs. Post-Brexit, this regulatory micromanagement of testing standards should be left to industry bodies and market forces. Standardized ISO references add compliance costs without demonstrating measurable public health gains beyond what voluntary industry standards would achieve. The regulation was inherited wholesale from EU frameworks without democratic scrutiny and perpetuates bureaucratic testing regimes that raise costs for poultry farmers with unclear benefits.

These Rules amend the Transport and Works (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 2004 and Transport and Works (Applications and Objections Procedure) (England and Wales) Rules 2006 to permit electronic delivery of documents and notices via websites as an alternative to physical copies. Key changes include: allowing document inspection in electronic form at physical locations; reducing required paper copies from 4 to 1; permitting website publication for service of notices with written notification of the publication address; and adding requirements to notify recipients of website addresses and viewing arrangements. The rules apply to major transport and infrastructure projects requiring Transport and Works orders.

These amendments reduce administrative burden and compliance costs for infrastructure applicants by allowing digital alternatives to paper-based processes, without weakening substantive protections. Deletion would revert applicants to more costly paper-intensive procedures with no corresponding public benefit. The regulation streamlines government processes, reduces project costs, and maintains the same procedural rights for objectors—including rights to inspect documents and receive notification—while leveraging modern digital infrastructure. No evidence suggests this creates monopoly power, restricts supply, or produces the harmful unintended consequences that justify deletion.

The Fareham (Electoral Changes) Order 2023 abolishes existing wards of the borough of Fareham and divides the borough into 16 new wards, each represented by 2 councillors (32 total). It establishes election timing on the ordinary day of election in 2024, sets staggered retirement terms for 2026 and 2028, and provides tie-breaking procedures by lot for contested elections and retirement determination.

This is a routine local government administrative order that imposes detailed electoral mechanics (ward boundaries, rotation schedules, retirement sequencing, tie-breaking by lot) with no corresponding economic benefit. Such micro-management of democratic structures adds bureaucratic complexity without enhancing economic dynamism. The arbitrary specification of exactly 16 wards with exactly 2 councillors each reflects bureaucratic fiat rather than market mechanisms or local choice. Deletion preserves existing arrangements which already permit democratic representation.

The Harlow (Electoral Changes) Order 2023 reorganises local government electoral boundaries in Harlow district by abolishing existing wards, creating 11 new three-councillor wards, establishing staggered councillor retirement terms (2026, 2027, 2028), and setting out election procedures and tie-breaking mechanisms via lot where votes are equal.

This is a straightforward administrative reorganisation of local electoral boundaries that serves legitimate democratic functions. It creates no economic burden, imposes no restrictions on trade or business, and contains no gold-plating. Without this order, Harlow would lack clear legal ward boundaries, creating uncertainty in democratic representation. The regulation is necessary to give effect to decisions of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, which requires primary legislation or equivalent secondary legislation to implement. There is no lighter-touch alternative that would achieve the same orderly democratic administration.

The Castle Point (Electoral Changes) Order 2023 abolishes existing borough wards and divides Castle Point into 13 new wards, each with 3 councillors elected simultaneously in 2024 with staggered retirements over three years. It also reorganises Canvey Island parish wards. The Order establishes electoral administration machinery including rules for determining councillor retirement order when votes are equal, unfilled seats, and lot-drawing procedures.

This Order establishes essential electoral administration infrastructure for legitimate local government function. Deletion would create legal chaos, uncertainty over ward boundaries, and inability to conduct valid local elections. Unlike EU-derived gold-plated regulations that impose costs beyond their source directive, this is domestic electoral machinery serving necessary democratic functions without distorting markets or restricting economic activity. The staggered election system actually reduces administrative burden by enabling partial rather than full council renewals.

The Hornsea Four Offshore Wind Farm Order 2023 grants development consent to Orsted Hornsea Project Four Limited for constructing and maintaining a large offshore wind farm (typically 1.4GW+ capacity) off the Yorkshire coast. The Order establishes the authorized development within defined Order limits, grants compulsory purchase powers for land and sea rights, creates deemed marine licences under the 2009 Act, requires numerous approved management plans (ecological, marine, traffic, archaeology, etc.), and contains provisions for transfer of rights to other parties. The Order incorporates extensive definitions, requirement schedules, and ancillary works authorizations.

This Order grants a de facto monopoly to a single private company (Orsted) over a vast swath of territorial waters, using compulsory purchase powers to acquire land for private development — a classic case of picking winners and losers in the energy market. The extensive regulatory apparatus (dozens of outline plans, strategies, and protocols required) creates bureaucratic burden without guaranteeing outcomes. Rather than allowing competitive markets to determine energy infrastructure investment, this Order concentrates decision-making in the undertaker's hands while the state bears the coordination costs. Free trade in energy markets — allowing multiple developers to compete freely for connections, land rights, and customer contracts — would serve Britons far better than this bespoke parliamentary intervention on behalf of one Danish-owned company.

These Regulations establish a fee regime for the Office for Students (OfS) to conduct assessments of quality and standards in higher education institutions in England. They set a fixed fee of £28,463 for certain assessments (regulation 4), variable cost-based fees for others (regulation 6), and include provisions for notices, payment terms, representations processes, interest charges on late payments (Bank of England rate + 5%), and civil debt recovery powers.

These regulations impose a fee-for-service model on quality assurance assessments, creating perverse incentives and adding regulatory burden to higher education institutions already facing excessive oversight. The OfS's power to conduct assessments and levy variable fees at its own discretion, combined with punitive interest charges (Bank of England rate + 5%) and civil debt recovery, represents overreach that will increase costs ultimately borne by students and taxpayers. Quality and standards in higher education are better served through market discipline, institutional reputation mechanisms, and lighter-touch accountability rather than this fee-for-assessment regime which mirrors the bureaucratic burden we sought to escape post-Brexit.

Sets prescribed maximum (£81,000) and minimum (£8,100) home loss payment amounts under section 30 of the Land Compensation Act 1973 for displacements in England on or after 1st October 2023, revoking the 2022 Regulations.

Home loss payments compensate individuals forcibly displaced by compulsory purchase — a sovereign state power that removes normal market negotiation. Without statutory floors, displaced homeowners lose bargaining leverage and face inadequate offers. The minimum £8,100 ensures baseline fairness; the maximum £81,000 prevents excessive awards at public expense. Deleting this would leave compensation levels to ad hoc determination, harming the very individuals this statute protects. This is not EU-derived burden, but domestic social justice legislation addressing a genuine market failure inherent in compulsory acquisition.