Browse regulations

The Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) (Amendment) Order 2026 amends the 2023 Order to extend marine accident investigation provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 to watercraft. It applies section 267 (investigation of marine accidents), section 259, and the Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012 to watercraft, treating them similarly to ships for accident investigation purposes.

Accident investigation differs from prescriptive operational regulations—it establishes accountability and enables learning from incidents to prevent future harm. Without this extension, watercraft accidents would lack systematic investigation, leaving victims without proper inquiry and preventing identification of safety improvements. The reporting requirements are minimal compliance obligations that generate public safety benefits exceeding their cost.

This Order imposes a statutory levy on employers in the construction industry to fund the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). The levy comprises 0.35% of employee emoluments plus 1.25% of sub-contractor contract payments. It applies to three levy periods in 2026-2028, with exemptions for employers with aggregate relevant payments below £150,000 and 50% relief for those between £150,000 and £500,000. The Board assesses liability, issues assessment notices, and employers may appeal to employment tribunals.

This mandate forces construction industry employers to fund a quango that distributes training services they may neither want nor need, distorting the labor market through sector-specific taxation. It creates administrative compliance burdens and competitive disadvantages for UK construction firms versus international rivals. The CITB's coercive funding model suppresses voluntary market alternatives that could more efficiently match training provision to actual demand. Such compulsory industrial training regimes were hallmarks of EU-style corporatism that Britons voted to escape with Brexit.

These 2026 Amendment Regulations modify Part 2 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 specifically for minerals and waste plans and joint minerals and waste plan documents in England. They substitute new provisions for section 15G (regarding revocation of minerals and waste plan documents by authorities and Secretary of State) and section 15IA (regarding how Part 2 applies to joint minerals and waste plan documents, including requirements for joint action by relevant authorities, Secretary of State intervention powers, and an exemption from Schedule A1). The regulations essentially codify complex coordination requirements between multiple minerals and waste planning authorities for joint plan documents and grant extensive Secretary of State override powers.

These regulations compound the complexity of England's already overburdensome planning permission regime. They impose elaborate joint-authority requirements for minerals and waste planning that create coordination costs, potential for deadlock between authorities, and additional bureaucratic hurdles. The Secretary of State's power to take over preparation 'in relation to all of the relevant authorities' rather than individual failing authorities discourages local initiative and creates one-size-fits-all centralisation risks. The exemption of joint minerals and waste plan documents from Schedule A1 demonstrates the arbitrary nature of these modifications. Minerals and waste planning across boundaries could be better served through voluntary cooperation or simpler, less prescriptive mechanisms rather than this thick layer of procedural modifications added to an already complex statutory framework.

These Regulations amend Schedule 4 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 to add the Department for Business and Trade (relating to the Fair Work Agency) to the table of relevant public authorities authorised to exercise investigatory powers under the 2016 Act. The amendment grants the Fair Work Agency access to communications data and other investigatory capabilities for its employment rights enforcement functions.

This regulation extends investigatory powers to a newly created regulatory body (the Fair Work Agency), representing an expansion of state surveillance capability into employment rights enforcement. The Fair Work Agency itself embodies the philosophy that employment outcomes require regulatory intervention rather than market mechanisms. These Regulations facilitate that expansion without any independent parliamentary scrutiny of why the Fair Work Agency specifically needs communications data powers rather than relying on existing enforcement tools. This represents exactly the kind of regulatory creep that Britons would be better off without — creating a new frontier of government oversight with insufficient justification.

Amends the Corporate Interest Restriction (Electronic Communications) Regulations 2022 by removing certain mandatory electronic submission requirements for specific entities, simplifying proof of delivery provisions, and updating cross-references to reflect current legislation.

This amendment reduces regulatory burden by removing mandatory electronic communications requirements for some entities and simplifying proof of delivery rules. Britons would be worse off if deleted because the underlying 2022 Regulations provide necessary clarity on electronic submission procedures while this amendment intelligently trims unnecessary requirements. The deregulation achieved here aligns with the goal of reducing compliance costs for businesses.

Prescribes forms for private assured tenancies under Part 1 of the Housing Act 1988, including notices for succession, possession proceedings, rent increases, and agricultural occupancy opt-outs. Revokes 2015 Regulations but provides transitional saving provisions for ongoing possession proceedings and applications initiated before 1st May 2026.

These regulations impose prescribed-form requirements that add compliance costs and create litigation risk when forms are imperfectly completed. The Secretary of State's ability to unilaterally change Form 3A (published on a website) without parliamentary scrutiny represents regulatory governance beyond proper democratic accountability. The transitional provisions demonstrate accumulated complexity from successive legislative amendments, creating dual-track compliance burdens. While procedural clarity has value, landlords and tenants can contractually agree on notice formats or rely on common law requirements—government-mandated forms that can be altered at official discretion without primary legislation are hallmarks of bureaucratic overreach that Adam Smith and the architects of Britain's commercial greatness would have opposed.

Appoints 1st April 2026 as the day on which section 18(4) of the Scotland Act 2016 takes effect, enabling the disapplication of the UK Aggregates Levy in Scotland as part of the Scottish Government's newly devolved tax powers.

This is a technical commencement order that merely activates a date for devolution provisions already enacted by Parliament. Deleting it would create legal uncertainty by preventing the Scottish tax system from operating as intended, leaving the UK Aggregates Levy framework in limbo without a functioning replacement. The underlying policy decision—devolving aggregates tax to Scotland—was already made through the Scotland Act 2016, and this regulation merely executes that democratic choice.

These Regulations appoint 1st April 2026 as the day on which sections 60(1) to (3) and 61(2) to (5) of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2017 (digital reporting and record-keeping requirements) come into force, while revoking two prior 2021 and 2024 Regulations that previously set appointed days for these provisions.

This regulation merely administers the entry into force of provisions already enacted by Parliament in the Finance (No. 2) Act 2017. Deleting it would leave digital reporting requirements in force under the parent Act but without a clear operative date, creating legal uncertainty. While digital reporting mandates impose compliance costs, those costs derive from the primary legislation, not this procedural instrument. The regulation provides clarity and an orderly transition date for businesses and HMRC, reducing rather than creating regulatory burden.

These Regulations amend the National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015 to increase the national living wage from £12.21 to £12.71 per hour, raise the 18-20 year old rate from £10.00 to £10.85, increase the 16-17 year old and apprentice rates from £7.55 to £8.00, and update the accommodation offset amount from £10.66 to £11.10 per day. The changes take effect on 1st April 2026 and apply across the entire United Kingdom.

While minimum wage laws are a form of labor market intervention, these Amendment Regulations simply index existing rates to reflect changes in economic conditions and inflation. Deleting them would leave the 2015 rates frozen at 2025 levels, creating practical difficulties and potential exploitation. The regulations do not represent EU-derived bureaucracy, gold-plating, or the typical regulatory overreach in planning, healthcare, or finance that Better Britain is tasked with addressing. The underlying policy choice to maintain a minimum wage floor is a legitimate democratic decision, and the specific rate adjustments appear proportionate and necessary for labour market function.

This Order makes consequential amendments to UK-wide legislation to reflect the establishment of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER) under the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022. It updates cross-references in the Value Added Tax Act 1994, Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, Higher Education and Research Act 2017, Charities Act 2011 Regulations 2013, and Seafarers' Wages Regulations 2024, replacing references to the Learning and Skills Act 2000 and Welsh Ministers with the new Welsh tertiary education framework.

This Order contains no independent regulatory burden—it is purely a technical statute book cleanup necessitated by the passage of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022. Without these amendments, UK-wide legislation would contain orphaned references to defunct provisions, creating legal uncertainty around VAT exemptions for Welsh educational institutions, tax definitions for research institutions, charity regulatory oversight, and seafarer wage calculations. Deletion would leave Britons worse off through legal inconsistency and potential disruption to Welsh educational and charitable sectors, with no corresponding free market benefit.

Amends three sets of electricity supplier payment regulations by updating operational cost levy rates and settlement costs levy amounts for years 2025-2028+. The regulation adjusts: (1) CfD Electricity Supplier Obligations levy rates (£0.1089-£0.1900/MWh), (2) Capacity Market supplier payment levy (£9.1m-£11.5m annually), and (3) Nuclear RAB model levy rates (£0.0028-£0.0073/MWh). Extends to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

While these levies are a form of hidden taxation on electricity suppliers that ultimately raises costs for consumers and businesses, this amendment merely adjusts rates within existing statutory frameworks rather than creating new regulatory burdens. Deleting this amendment would revert to previous (lower) levy rates, disrupting the contractual expectations of renewable and nuclear investors under long-term government contracts. However, the underlying schemes (CfD, Capacity Market, Nuclear RAB) represent accumulated government interventions that should be reviewed holistically rather than through piecemeal amendments. The case for deletion would be stronger if targeted at the primary regulations establishing these schemes, not at rate adjustments.

Amends the Procurement Regulations 2024 to: relax confirmation requirements for urgent direct awards; add SME/NGO reservation options for below-threshold notices; require supplier registration on the central digital platform before below-threshold contract notices; establish detailed payment information publication requirements under section 70(1) of the PA 2023; add national security termination notification requirements for health care contracts; update government authority listings; and provide transitional provisions for the shift from Contracts Finder to the central digital platform.

The regulation compounds regulatory burden rather than reducing it. New Regulation 36A mandates supplier registration and classification (SME vs. 'value-driven' NGO) before contractors can receive below-threshold contracts — an administrative barrier that disadvantages smaller suppliers and creates compliance costs without clear benefit. The NGO category ('value-driven and which principally reinvest surpluses to further social, environmental or cultural objectives') is undefined and subjective, creating scope for favoritism. The detailed payment information requirements in Regulation 38A impose additional administrative obligations on contracting authorities with no demonstrated market failure justifying them. While relaxation of direct award timing for emergencies is beneficial, the regulation overall adds layers of bureaucracy that will increase procurement costs and reduce competition — inconsistent with Britain's free-trading heritage.

Amends the Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2022 by extending multiple phase endings and compliance deadlines from March/July 2026 to dates ranging from December 2026 to July 2027. The ECO scheme mandates that large energy suppliers install energy efficiency measures in households, particularly those in fuel poverty.

This regulation imposes mandatory spending obligations on energy companies to fund home energy improvements, with costs ultimately passed to consumers via higher energy bills. It creates bureaucratic approval processes for 'data light measures' and distorts market allocation of capital by mandating specific categories of expenditure rather than allowing voluntary, competitive solutions. Extending deadlines does not change the fundamental regulatory burden—energy companies are compelled to subsidise particular goods and services, reducing economic efficiency and potentially deterring market entry.

Establishes the Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority as a body corporate, defines constituent councils (Brighton and Hove City Council, East Sussex County Council, West Sussex County Council), creates a directly elected mayor with term beginning 8th May 2028, transfers concurrent transport planning functions under the 2000 Act, grants payable functions under the 2003 Act, crime and disorder information sharing functions, and general power of competence for economic development under the Localism Act 2011. Provides for mayoral political adviser appointments, modified audit requirements, and funding arrangements via precepts apportioned by population.

This is a governance reorganization rather than a regulatory burden on economic activity. It coordinates existing local government functions (transport planning, economic development, information sharing) under a single combined authority, potentially reducing fragmentation and administrative overhead across three separate councils. While the mayoral structure concentrates power in ways that merit scrutiny, deleting this would simply leave a governance vacuum without addressing the underlying coordination needs that this instrument fulfils. The alternative — maintaining uncoordinated functions across three separate authorities — is likely less efficient.

This Order authorizes the UK Government to make payments up to £21 million to the Caribbean Development Bank's Special Development Fund (Unified) as part of the 11th replenishment cycle, and enables redemption of related non-interest-bearing notes/obligations, pursuant to the 1969 Agreement establishing the Bank.

Deletion would breach the UK's binding international legal obligations under the 1969 Agreement (ratified 1970), damage diplomatic and trade relationships with Caribbean nations, and undermine UK credibility in international financial commitments. While development assistance involves tradeoffs, the £21m cap provides fiscal discipline, and the UK's historical treaty obligations cannot be unilaterally abandoned without consequence.