Acts of Parliament — what each Act does

Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Act 2026

This legislation, along with subsequent secondary legislation, enables the United Kingdom (UK) to implement the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (the BBNJ Agreement) UN Text of BBNJ Agreement 1 . Before it can ratify the Agreement, the UK must be able to implement its international obligations in full.

Employment Rights Act 2025

The Employment Rights Act 2025 ("the Act") delivers the key legislative reforms set out in the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay 1 . The Act updates and enhance existing employment rights and makes provision for new rights; makes provision regarding pay and conditions in particular sectors; and makes reforms in relation to trade union matters and industrial action. It further creates a new regime for the enforcement of employment law.

Space Industry (Indemnities) Act 2025

This Act amends the Space Industry Act 2018 to provide that spaceflight operator licences must specify a limit on the amount of the licensee’s liability to indemnify the United Kingdom Government and other particular persons or bodies against any claims brought against the government, or the person or body, in respect of damage or loss arising out of or in connection with spaceflight activities authorised by the licence.

Mental Health Act 2025

The Mental Health Act 2025 (the "Act)" contains a number of amendments to the Mental Health Act 1983 (the "1983 Act)".

Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025

The Act establishes the architecture and provides the tools, powers and offences to transform the cross-system response to the threats against UK border security and strengthens the operation of the border security, asylum and immigration systems.

Armed Forces Commissioner Act 2025

The primary purpose of this Act is to establish the role and functions of the Armed Forces Commissioner and to provide the Commissioner with the powers and duties required to carry out those functions.

Data (Use and Access) Act 2025

This Act intends to harness the power of data for economic growth, support a modern digital government, and improve people’s lives.

Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024

The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act ("the Act") is a short Act amending specific provisions in the Railways Act 1993 ("RA93") to remove the presumption in favour of private sector operation of franchised passenger services to facilitate the Government’s commitment to bring such train operations back into public ownership when current franchise contracts end.

Budget Responsibility Act 2024

The Budget Responsibility Act 2024 ensures that fiscal announcements in respect of fiscally significant measures made by the Government are subject to an independent assessment by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). It achieves this by requiring the OBR to produce an assessment of the fiscal impacts of fiscally significant measures, without a request from HM Treasury if necessary.

Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 is the second part of a legislative package to reform English and Welsh property law. It follows on from the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022, which put an end to ground rents for most new, qualifying long residential leasehold properties in England and Wales.

Building Societies Act 1986 (Amendment) Act 2024

This Act is about putting building societies on a more level playing field with other retail deposit-takers (i.e. banks) in relation to their capital raising and corporate governance requirements, so that they can compete more effectively in the financial services sector and better support their members. This Act helps to deliver key asks from the building society sector. This Act thus amends the Building Societies Act 1986 ("the 1986 Act") and also provides HM Treasury with the powers to make specific secondary legislation.

Pet Abduction Act 2024

The Pet Abduction Act 2024 ("the Act") introduces new criminal offences in relation to the taking or detaining of a dog from the lawful control of any person; and the taking of a cat from the lawful control of any person.

Media Act 2024

The Media Act reforms the legal framework for the regulation of public service broadcasting, make changes to on-demand programme service ("ODPS") regulation in the UK and make changes to the legal framework for the regulation of radio; including conferring new powers and duties on the Office of Communications ("OFCOM") and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The Act also repeals an uncommenced provision of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 related to the regulation of news publishers.

Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024

The Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024 will quash the convictions of sub-postmasters and others who worked, including on a voluntary basis, in post office branches (all referred to below as "postmasters") who have suffered as a consequence of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal. It will quash, on a blanket basis, convictions for various theft, fraud and related offences during the period of the Horizon scandal in England and Wales.

Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act ("the Act") creates a new regime to increase competition in digital markets by conferring powers and duties on the Competition and Markets Authority ("CMA") to regulate competition in these markets; updates powers to investigate and enforce competition law; updates and enhances powers to investigate and enforce consumer protection law and resolve consumer disputes; and gives consumers protections in respect of unfair commercial practices, subscription traps and prepayments to savings schemes.

Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024

The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024 makes provision to prohibit the export of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and equines for slaughter, including fattening for subsequent slaughter, beginning in or transiting through Great Britain to EU member states and other third countries.

Automated Vehicles Act 2024

The Automated Vehicles Act implements the recommendations of the 4-year review of regulation for automated vehicles carried out jointly by the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission (the Law Commissions). It is intended to set the legal framework for the safe deployment of self-driving vehicles in Great Britain.

Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024

The Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act updates elements of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA 2016) to ensure the United Kingdom’s (UK) investigatory powers framework remains fit for purpose in the face of evolving threats.

Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Act 2024

The Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Act (the "Act") provides measures to help ensure the UK will be compliant with its international obligations pursuant to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership ("CPTPP") when the UK accedes to that treaty. In particular, the measures in the Act make changes to domestic law in three areas: technical barriers to trade; government procurement; and intellectual property.

National Insurance Contributions (Reduction in Rates) Act 2023

This Act introduces a cut in the rate of primary (employee) Class 1 National Insurance contributions (NICs) from 12% to 10% and a cut in the rate of self-employed Class 4 NICs from 9% to 8% with related consequential changes. The Act also includes provisions to remove the liability of self-employed persons to pay Class 2 NICs for those with profits above £12,570 per annum, whilst maintaining access to contributory benefits. The Class 1 NICs rate cut takes effect from 6 January 2024. The Class 4 NICs rate cut and provisions relating to Class 2 NICs will take effect from 6 April 2024.

Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act is effectively the second part of a legislative package to prevent the abuse of United Kingdom (UK) corporate structures and tackle economic crime. It follows on from the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022, which received Royal Assent on 15 March 2022.

Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023

The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 supports the Government’s manifesto commitment to level up the United Kingdom. The Government’s objective is to reduce geographical disparities between different parts of the United Kingdom by spreading opportunity more equally.

Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023

The Act consists of 5 sections: Section 1 introduces a duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees; Section 2 makes provision about the enforcement of the employer duty; Section 3 provides for a compensation uplift in sexual harassment cases where there has been a breach of the employer duty; Section 4 makes consequential amendments to the Equality Act 2006 ("the 2006 Act"); and Section 5 details the extent of the sections and when the provisions will commence.

Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Act 2023

This Act amends provisions in the Pensions Act 2008 to give regulation making powers to enable the Secretary of State to make regulations to reduce the lower age limit at which otherwise eligible workers must be automatically enrolled and re-enrolled into a pension scheme by their employers; to make regulations to remove the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) from the qualifying earnings band so that contributions are calculated from the first pound earned and, to make regulations modifying the requirements of the annual review of the qualifying earnings band.

Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 (repealed)

The Act enables the implementation of minimum service levels (MSLs) in certain services during periods of strike action. The Act amends the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 ("the 1992 Act") to: restrict the protection of trade unions under the 1992 Act from legal action in respect of strikes relating to certain services and the automatic protection of employees from unfair dismissal where provision has been made for minimum levels of service (MSLs). The services will be prescribed by regulations, following consultation; and enable employers to issue work notices to require the minimum service levels to be delivered for particular strikes in specified services.

Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023

The Act gives effect to the recommendations made by the Law Commission of England and Wales in its report on Electronic Trade Documents, published on 16 March 2022. 1 The Act is concerned with certain types of documents used in trade and trade finance whose functionality depends on their being capable of being (physically) possessed. Before the passing of the Act, the law in the United Kingdom did not recognise the possibility of possessing electronic documents; possession was associated only with tangible assets. These documents could not therefore be used effectively in electronic form.

Counsellors of State Act 2022

The Counsellors of State Act 2022 adds His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex and Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to the persons to whom, as Counsellors of State, Royal functions may be delegated.

Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022

The Act creates a new regulatory scheme to make consumer connectable products ("smart" products) more secure against cyber attacks. It also contains provisions intended to accelerate the deployment and expansion of mobile, full fibre and gigabit-capable networks across the UK through changes to legislation (including changes to the Electronic Communications Code) that deal with the rights of Code operators to install, maintain and use electronic communications apparatus.

Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022

This Act delivers on the legislative commitments on identity and language set out in New Decade, New Approach (NDNA), the document which was the basis on which the five main parties in Northern Ireland agreed to form an Executive in January 2020.

Health and Social Care Levy (Repeal) Act 2022

This Act repeals the Health and Social Care Levy Act 2021. As a consequence, the 1.25% Health and Social Care Levy will not come into force from 6 April 2023. It also reduces the main and additional rates of Class 1, Class 1A, Class 1B and Class 4 National Insurance contributions (NICs) for the 2022-23 tax year, in effect removing the temporary 1.25 percentage point increase legislated in section 5 of the Health and Social Care Levy Act 2021 for the remainder of the current tax year.

Social Security (Additional Payments) Act 2022

The Social Security (Additional Payments) Act 2022 makes provisions for the Means-tested Additional Payments and the Disability Additional Payment. The first is a £650 payment, paid in two payments, to those receiving at least 1p of a qualifying means-tested benefit. The Disability Additional Payment is a £150 payment for each individual who is receiving a qualifying disability benefit.

Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022

The Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 introduces reforms to Judicial Review. It also includes a number of measures to help address the backlog across criminal courts, tribunals and Coroner’s Courts and continue to modernise the delivery of justice and improve efficiency.

British Sign Language Act 2022

The Act consists of four sections: Section 1 recognises British Sign Language as a language of Great Britain in its own right; Section 2 places a duty on the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to report on the promotion and facilitation of British Sign Language by ministerial departments; Section 3 places a duty on the Secretary of State to issue guidance on the general promotion and facilitation of British Sign Language; and Section 4 outlines the extent of the sections and when the provisions will commence.

Pension Schemes (Conversion of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions) Act 2022

The Act amends provisions in the Pension Schemes Act 1993, the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993, the Pensions Act 2007 and the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 which allow occupational pension schemes to convert Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) benefits into other scheme benefits. The amendments simplify and clarify how these provisions operate.

Health and Care Act 2022

The key purpose of the Health and Care Act is to give effect to the policies that were set out as part of the NHS’ recommendations for legislative reform in the NHS Long Term Plan and in the White Paper "Integration and Innovation: Working together to improve Health and Social Care for all" published in February 2021.

Armed Forces Act 2021

The primary purpose of this Act is to renew the Armed Forces Act 2006 ("AFA 2006") and, in so doing, continue in force the primary legislation governing the armed forces. This Act, the Armed Forces Act 2021 ("AFA 2021") also provides for measures to maintain the effectiveness of the service justice system so that it continues to meet the needs of the armed forces and is to further incorporate the Armed Forces Covenant into law.

Rating (Coronavirus) and Directors Disqualification (Dissolved Companies) Act 2021

This Act: implements commitments made by the Government on 25 March 2021 to clarify that coronavirus and the Government’s response to it is not reflected in rateable values on the 2017 rating list, 1 and addresses concerns about the abuse of limited liability, by extending the powers of the Secretary of State and, in Northern Ireland, of the Department for the Economy to investigate the conduct of company directors to include former directors of dissolved companies, to commence disqualification proceedings against them where public interest criteria are met, and to seek compensation where their conduct has caused loss to creditors.

Critical Benchmarks (References and Administrators' Liability) Act 2021

The Critical Benchmarks (References and Administrators’ Liability) Act 2021 (c. 33) supports the orderly wind-down of critical benchmarks, protecting both users of these benchmarks and the integrity of the UK’s financial markets.

Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Act 2021

The Act has two sections: Section 1 provides for a review of the state pension and certain other benefits by reference to inflation and for the up-rating of the state pension and those other benefits by at least inflation or 2.5%, whichever is higher. This will apply only for the tax year 2022-23. Section 2 contains the technical provisions in the Act which cover the short title, extent and commencement.

Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021

The Telecommunications (Security) Act ("the Act") takes forward the Government’s commitment published in the 2019 UK Telecoms Supply Chain Review Report to introduce a new security framework for the UK telecoms sector to ensure that public telecommunications providers operate secure and resilient networks and services and manage their supply chains appropriately.

Health and Social Care Levy Act 2021 (repealed)

The Act deals with the introduction of a new Health and Social Care Levy, transitional arrangements to provide for a temporary increase in rates of Class 1, 1A, 1B and Class 4 National Insurance contributions (NICs) and how funds raised will be used.

National Security and Investment Act 2021

The Act establishes a statutory regime for Government scrutiny of, and intervention in, investments for the purposes of protecting national security. The regime makes provision for: a power to issue "call-in" notices that the Secretary of State may use to call in acquisitions of control over qualifying entities or assets ("trigger events") to undertake a national security assessment whether or not they have been notified to the Government; the Secretary of State to publish a statement on how he or she expects to use the power to give a call-in notice; a mandatory notification system requiring proposed acquirers of certain shares or voting rights in specified qualifying entities to obtain clearance from the Secretary of State for their acquisitions before they take place; powers which enable the Secretary of State to amend by regulations the acquisitions which fall within scope of the mandatory notification system; a voluntary notification system which is intended to encourage notifications from parties who consider that their trigger event may raise national security concerns; the statutory process that is to be used to assess specific trigger events for national security concerns; remedies to address risks to national security, sanctions for non-compliance with the regime and the mechanism for legal challenge; and interaction with the Competition and Markets Authority.

Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act 2021

The Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act includes the following provisions: Measures that will apply when decisions are made by prosecutors in relation to the prosecution of current or former Service personnel for historical offences allegedly committed overseas. Firstly, a presumption against prosecution. This provision raises the threshold to be applied by prosecutors when considering whether a service person or veteran should be prosecuted in such cases, by stipulating that it is to be exceptional for a prosecutor to determine that a prosecution should be brought. Secondly, the prosecutor must give particular weight to the adverse impact of the particular conditions the person was exposed to and the exceptional demands and stresses of overseas operations on a Service person (including on their ability to make sound judgements and on their mental health) and, in cases where there have been previous investigations and no compelling new evidence has emerged, the public interest in finality. Thirdly, if a prosecutor determines that, notwithstanding the presumption, it is appropriate for a prosecution to be brought, the consent of the Attorney General for England and Wales or the Advocate General for Northern Ireland will then be required for the prosecution to proceed.

Financial Services Act 2021

The Financial Services Act ensures the UK's regulatory framework continues to function effectively following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, and makes important updates to the regulatory framework.

Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021

The Act increases the maximum penalty for specific offences related to animal welfare in England and Wales from 29 June 2021. It does so by extending the maximum penalty, specified under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, of six months and/or an unlimited fine to a penalty of five years and/or an unlimited fine. These offences therefore become triable either way, and may be heard in the Magistrates Court or the Crown Court.

Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021

The Act imposes a duty on the Secretary of State to issue statutory guidance on the cost aspects of school uniform, to which relevant schools must have regard. The guidance will apply to relevant state-funded schools in England (namely, maintained schools (including maintained special schools); academies (including special academies and alternative provision academies); non-maintained special schools; and pupil referral units).

Education and Training (Welfare of Children) Act 2021

There is an existing duty on local authorities, the governing bodies of maintained schools and the governing bodies of institutions within the FE sector to make arrangements in regard to the welfare of children which can be found in section 175 of the Education Act 2002 ("the 2002 Act"). The Education and Training (Welfare of Children) Act 2021 ("the Act") extends the duty to other providers of publicly funded post-16 education and training in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children receiving education or training at the institution, as well as having regard to any guidance given by the Secretary of State.

European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020

The European Union (Future Relationship) Act implements the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), Agreement on Nuclear Cooperation and Agreement on Security Procedures for Exchanging and Protecting Classified Information (‘the Agreements’), as agreed between the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU).

United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020

The purpose of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act is to preserve the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) internal market as powers previously exercised at European Union (EU) level return to the UK, providing continued certainty for people and businesses that they can work and trade freely across the whole of the UK.

Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020

The principal legislation governing parliamentary constituencies and boundary reviews is the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 ("the 1986 Act"). The Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020 amends the 1986 Act and makes provision in respect of: the number of parliamentary constituencies; the rules governing the setting of the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies; the conduct of boundary reviews by the Boundary Commissions; and the process for bringing the Boundary Commissions’ recommendations into effect.

Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Act 2020

The purpose of the Act is to provide for the implementation in domestic law of international agreements on private international law.

Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Act 2020

The Act has two sections: Section 1 provides a power for the up-rating of state pension and certain other benefits following a review in the tax year 2020-21. Up-rating will apply only for the tax year 2021-22. Section 2 contains the technical provisions in the Act which cover the short title, extent and commencement.

Fisheries Act 2020

The Fisheries Act (the Act) provides the legal framework for the United Kingdom to operate as an independent coastal state under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS) after the UK has left the Common Fisheries Policy (the CFP) at the end of the Transition Period at 11pm on 31 December 2020. The Act creates common approaches to fisheries management between the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (the "Secretary of State") and the Devolved Administrations, known collectively as the Fisheries Administrations, and makes reforms to fisheries management across the UK. It also confers additional powers on the Marine Management Organisation ("the MMO") to improve the regulation of fishing and the marine environment in the UK and beyond.

Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020

The purpose of the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020 ("the Act") is to end free movement of persons in UK law and make European Union (EU), other European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss citizens, and their family members, subject to UK immigration controls. The Act ends the EU’s rules on free movement that are retained in UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("EUWA 2018"), as amended by the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 ("EUWAA 2020") and repeals section 7 of the Immigration Act 1988, which exempts EU citizens from requiring leave to enter or remain in the UK. At the end of the transition period, 31 December 2020, citizens of the EU, the EEA EFTA states of Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, and their family members, will require permission to enter and remain in the UK under the Immigration Act 1971 1 . The Act protects the immigration status of Irish citizens once free movement ends. It also contains provision for the Government (and/or, where appropriate, a Northern Ireland department) to amend retained direct EU legislation relating to the social security co-ordination regime, which is retained in UK law by the EUWA 2018.

Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Act 2020

The Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Act 2020 amends Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003 ("the 2003 Act") to create a new power of arrest for extradition purposes. Part 2 of the 2003 Act deals with extradition to territories with which the UK has formal extradition arrangements based on the exchange of extradition requests between governments. In contrast, Part 1 is designed to implement arrangements based on the exchange of arrest warrants, such as the European Arrest Warrant (‘EAW’) scheme.

Business and Planning Act 2020

The Act includes a range of measures to help businesses adjust to new ways of working as the country recovers from disruption caused by Covid-19. The measures support the transition from immediate crisis response and lockdown into recovery and getting the economy moving again. The measures support businesses to implement safer ways of working to manage the ongoing risks from Covid-19, in particular the need for social distancing.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (Temporary Relief) Act 2020

This Act temporarily increases the amount that a purchaser can pay for residential property before they pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). It means that all individual purchasers of residential property who complete or substantially perform their purchase between 8 July 2020 and 31 March 2021 will pay less or no SDLT.

Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020

The Act will revise the legal process in England and Wales for married couples to obtain a divorce or judicial separation and for civil partners to dissolve their civil partnership (a process termed dissolution) or obtain a separation. It will therefore amend certain provisions set out in the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004, which are the main statutes governing these proceedings.

Birmingham Commonwealth Games Act 2020

This Act provides for a number of operational measures required to support the delivery of the 2022 Commonwealth Games to be held predominantly in Birmingham (and venues across the West Midlands). It provides United Kingdom ministers and the Organising Committee with the powers necessary to ensure delivery of aspects of the Games relating to funding of the Organising Committee, Organising Committee reporting, provisions regarding association with the Games, ticket touting, advertising and trading and transport. The Act does not apply to other Commonwealth Sport events such as championships, which will not form part of the Games.

Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Act 2019

The Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Act ("the HIA Act") will provide the legal framework for delivering two of the recommendations contained in the Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry: establishing a Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board ("the Redress Board") to administer a publicly funded compensation scheme and the creation of a statutory Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse ("the Commissioner").

Northern Ireland Budget Act 2019 (repealed)

The Act deals with matters arising from the continued absence of a Northern Ireland Executive, and the consequent inability of the Northern Ireland Assembly to pass legislation to provide the authority for departmental expenditure.

Census (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Act 2019

The Census (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Act 2019 provides for voluntary questions on sexual orientation and gender identity to be asked in the England and Wales and Northern Ireland censuses. It does this by removing the criminal penalty for not responding to questions on these matters. It also clarifies the existing law that such questions may be asked. In the case of England and Wales only, this will lead to any such questions being subject to the draft negative Parliamentary procedure in future Census Orders.

Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019

The Act establishes the statutory bodies that will be responsible for the works for (or in connection with) the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster. It also establishes the governance structure within which those bodies will operate.

Wild Animals in Circuses Act 2019

The Act makes it an offence, from 20 January 2020, for an operator of a travelling circus in England to use a "wild animal" in the circus. Wild animals are defined in the Act as animals of a kind which are not commonly domesticated in Great Britain.

National Insurance Contributions (Termination Awards and Sporting Testimonials) Act 2019

The Act deals with the following matters: Aligning the National Insurance contributions (NICs) treatment of termination awards made to employees with the income tax treatment; and Aligning the NICs treatment of income from sporting testimonials with the income tax treatment.

Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) (Amendment) Act 2019

The Act amends the Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009 (the "2009 Act") to prevent it from expiring on 11 November 2019.

Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019

The purpose of the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019 is to reform the process under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 ("MCA") for authorising arrangements enabling the care or treatment of people who lack capacity to consent to the arrangements, which give rise to a deprivation of their liberty.

Offensive Weapons Act 2019

The purpose of this Act is to help reduce violent crime. Specifically, the Act will Prohibit the possession of corrosive substances in a public place and the sale of corrosive products to those aged under 18; Strengthen the arrangements for the online sale of bladed articles, bladed products and corrosive products; Prohibit the possession of certain offensive weapons; Prohibit the possession of certain firearms; Introduce Knife Crime Prevention Orders

Healthcare (International Arrangements) Act 2019

The Act provides the Secretary of State with a legal framework for implementing comprehensive healthcare arrangements with a European Economic Area (EEA) state, Switzerland or an international organisation (i.e. the European Union (EU)). It provides powers to fund healthcare provided within those countries and powers to give effect to healthcare arrangements and healthcare agreements between the United Kingdom (UK) and an EEA state or Switzerland or an international organisation. It also provides the Secretary of State with powers to lawfully process data which is necessary to underpin these arrangements and agreements.

Northern Ireland (Regional Rates and Energy) Act 2019

The Act deals with matters arising from the continued absence of a Northern Ireland Executive and a sitting Assembly following the Assembly election on 2 March 2017. The Act: sets the amounts of the regional domestic and non-domestic rates for the assessment of rates and the billing of ratepayers in Northern Ireland for the financial year ending on 31 March 2020; implements a long-term tariff structure for the Northern Ireland Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme to replace the current interim arrangements for small and medium biomass installations introduced on 1 April 2018; and introduces a power to prepare and publish voluntary "buy-out" arrangements, in each of three consecutive financial years, beginning with 1 April 2019, under which participants can apply to receive a one-off payment in respect of an accredited RHI installation, upon receipt of which they are withdrawn from the Scheme, receiving no further periodic support payments. The voluntary buy-out provision is limited to a three year period after the Act is introduced and the power to establish arrangements in respect of a particular financial year may only be exercised by the Department in the current period while there is no Executive.

Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019

The purpose of the Act is fourfold. Firstly, it confers powers on the Secretary of State to enable them to reform the way in which marriages are registered in England and Wales, moving from a paper-based system to registration in an electronic register. This will facilitate change to the register entry, both now and in the future, including a line for the inclusion of the mother in the marriage entry and create a more secure system for the maintenance of marriage records. Secondly, it requires the Secretary of State to make regulations to extend eligibility to form a civil partnership to opposite-sex couples by no later than 31st December 2019, and empowers the Secretary of State to make other provision in view of extension of eligibility. Thirdly, it requires the Secretary of State to prepare a report on whether the law ought to be changed to require or permit the registration of pregnancy losses which cannot be registered as still-births under the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953. Finally, it requires the Secretary of State to prepare a report on whether the law ought to be changed to enable or require coroners to investigate stillbirths, and confers powers to make those changes.

Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Act 2018

The Queen’s speech announced that legislation would be brought forward to modernise the courts system. This Act introduces the first set of court reform measures relating to the deployment of the judiciary and enabling staff to exercise certain judicial functions.

Health and Social Care (National Data Guardian) Act 2018

The purpose of the Health and Social Care (National Data Guardian) Act 2018 is to establish a National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care, and to promote the provision of advice and guidance about the processing of health and adult social care data in England.

Ivory Act 2018

The purpose of the Act is to prohibit commercial activities concerning ivory in the UK and the import and re-export of ivory for commercial purposes to and from the UK, including intra-EU trade to and from the UK.

Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018 (repealed)

The Act: Extends the period provided in the Northern Ireland Act 1998 for Northern Ireland Ministers to be appointed until 26 March 2019 with the possibility to extend that period for up to 5 months by statutory instrument, Clarifies that a senior officer of a Northern Ireland department is not prevented from exercising a function of the department during the period for forming an Executive if they are satisfied that it is in the public interest to do so, Requires the Secretary of State to provide guidance to Northern Ireland departments about the exercise of those functions, Enables the Secretary of State and the Lord Chancellor to exercise appointment functions normally exercised by Northern Ireland Ministers in relation to specified offices, and enable by regulations further such functions to be exercised by UK Ministers, Replaces the requirement for UK Ministers to consult, or obtain the approval of, Northern Ireland Ministers or the Executive Committee before exercising appointment functions with a requirement to consult the relevant Northern Ireland department, and Enables the Secretary of State to exercise any appointment function of a Northern Ireland Minister that is exercisable jointly with other persons who include the Secretary of State, following consultation with the relevant Northern Ireland department.

Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2018

The Act amends or inserts a number of provisions into the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, providing powers to make regulations in relation to Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay for eligible parents.

Northern Ireland Budget Act 2018 (repealed)

The Act deals with matters arising from the continued absence of a Northern Ireland Executive, and the consequent inability of the Northern Ireland Assembly to pass legislation to provide the authority for departmental expenditure.

Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018

The Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018 makes provision to support UK hauliers to continue to operate internationally after the UK leaves the European Union.

Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018

The Automated and Electric Vehicles Act is intended to enable consumers in the United Kingdom to benefit from improvements in transport technology. The Act makes provision for (1) the creation of a new liability scheme for insurers in relation to automated vehicles, and (2) the creation of regulations relating to the installation and operation of charging points and hydrogen refuelling points for electric vehicles. The Act sets out the regulatory framework to enable new transport technology to be invented, designed, made and used in the United Kingdom.

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

The European Union (Withdrawal) Act repeals the European Communities Act 1972 (ECA) on the day the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.

Nuclear Safeguards Act 2018

The Nuclear Safeguards Act creates the legal framework for a domestic nuclear safeguards regime to operate in the United Kingdom. This regime will replace the current legal framework provided principally by the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Atomic Energy Community ("Euratom"). Nuclear safeguards arrangements enable the United Kingdom to meet international nuclear safeguards standards and engage in certain international civil nuclear activities, including trade and research and development.

European Union (Approvals) Act 2017 (repealed)

The purpose of the Act is to approve four draft decisions of the Council of the European Union ("the Council"). This is to fulfil a requirement in section 8 of the European Union Act 2011 ("2011 Act") which requires Parliament to approve draft decisions made under Article 352 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union ("TFEU"). Parliamentary approval will enable the United Kingdom to vote in favour of the draft decisions.

Northern Ireland Budget Act 2017 (repealed)

The Act deals with matters arising from the lack of a 2017-18 Budget Act passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly, as a result of the continued absence of a Northern Ireland Executive following the Assembly election on 2 March 2017.

Digital Economy Act 2017

This Act implements a number of policies outlined in the 2015 Conservative Party Manifesto. The Act contains measures related to providing a broadband universal service for the United Kingdom, granting additional powers to Ofcom in respect of information provision, consumer switching and automatic compensation in relation to communication matters, a new Electronic Communications Code and other communications infrastructure matters, introducing better controls on online pornography and protecting citizens from nuisance calls, digital intellectual property, powers to share data between public authorities and some measures relating to the BBC.

Higher Education and Research Act 2017

This Act includes a range of measures which: create a new regulatory body overseeing the English higher education sector, the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS has explicit duties focused on choice, quality and value for money, and in performing its functions, the OfS must also have regard to the need to protect the institutional autonomy of English higher education providers; place a duty on the OfS to focus on equality of opportunity in connection with access to and participation in higher education; seek to bring greater transparency to the data held by the higher education sector; put in place risk-based regulation with the aim that the higher education sector serves its stakeholders: students, employers and taxpayers; seek to facilitate new high-quality providers to start up and achieve degree awarding powers, and subsequently secure university title; give the OfS the power to operate a Teaching Excellence Framework to recognise and reward high-quality teaching; create a single research and innovation funding body, United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI), enshrining the Haldane principle and protections for the dual support system of research funding.

Northern Ireland (Ministerial Appointments and Regional Rates) Act 2017

The Act deals with two matters arising from the continued absence of a Northern Ireland Executive following the Assembly election on 2 March 2017.

Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Act 2017

The Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Act amends and extends existing provisions of the National Health Service Act 2006 ("the NHS Act 2006") which relate to: the remuneration for person providing special medicinal products; the control of the cost of health service medicines and other medical supplies; the provision of pricing and other information to the Secretary of State by those manufacturing, distributing or supplying health service medicines, medical supplies or other related products required for the purposes of the health service; and the disclosure of the information referred to in the preceding paragraph in specified circumstances.

Criminal Finances Act 2017

The Criminal Finances Act 2017 makes the legislative changes necessary to give law enforcement agencies and partners new capabilities and powers to recover the proceeds of crime, and to tackle money laundering, corruption and terrorist financing.

Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017

The Neighbourhood Planning Act contains measures relating to planning and compulsory purchase and will contribute to the Government’s aim of making sure the housing market works for everyone. The Act is made up of three parts. A summary of these parts and their contents is provided below.

Technical and Further Education Act 2017

This Act takes forward policies relating to Technical and Further Education which support the government’s social mobility agenda and seek to boost the country’s productivity by addressing skill shortages and ensuring high quality technical education.

Pension Schemes Act 2017

The Act’s focus is on protecting savers and maintaining confidence in pension savings.

Children and Social Work Act 2017

The Act has four main purposes: Improving decision making, and support for looked after and previously looked after children in England and Wales. Improving joint work at the local level to safeguard children and enabling better learning at the local and national levels to improve practice in child protection. Promoting the safeguarding of children by providing for Relationships and Sex Education in schools. Enabling the establishment of a new regulatory regime specifically for the social work profession in England.

Housing and Planning Act 2016

The Act puts in place measures to support the delivery of the Government's commitments as published in the Conservative Party manifesto and the productivity plan Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation. Through this Act, the Government aims to take forward proposals to build more homes that people can afford, give more people the chance to own their own home, and to improve the way housing is managed.

Armed Forces Act 2016

The Act deals with the following matters: Duration of the Armed Forces Act 2006 Testing for alcohol and drugs Investigation and charging of service offences Suspended sentences of service detention Offenders assisting investigations and prosecutions The Armed Forces Act 2006 outside the United Kingdom Repeals relating to discharge for homosexual acts War pensions committees Ministry of Defence fire-fighters

Energy Act 2016

The Energy Act 2016 contains provisions which complete the work started in the last Parliament to implement the recommendations in Sir Ian Wood’s review into UK offshore oil and gas recovery and its regulation. Central to this was the establishment of a new arm's length regulatory body charged with effective stewardship and regulation of petroleum recovery. The Act formally establishes the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) as an independent regulator (taking the form of a Government company), transfers regulatory powers and functions to it, as well as providing it with new powers. This ensures the OGA has the powers it needs to be a robust, independent and effective regulator, and enable it to deliver on a strategy to give effect to the principal objective, defined in section 9A of the Petroleum Act 1998.

Immigration Act 2016

This Act implements a number of policies outlined in the Conservative Party Manifesto. The Act contains measures to tackle illegal working, enhance the enforcement of labour market rules, deny illegal migrants access to services including housing and banking, provide new powers for immigration officers, as well as other measures to improve the security and operation of the immigration system.

Bank of England and Financial Services Act 2016

The Bank of England and Financial Services Act 2016 amends governance and accountability arrangements at the Bank of England ("the Bank"), makes provision in relation to the Prudential Regulation Authority ("PRA") and the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA"), expands the scope of and make changes to the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, makes provision for the enforceability of credit agreements, makes provision in relation to funding the teams that take action against illegal money lending, makes provision concerning the transposition of Directive (EU) 2015/849 on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing ("the Directive"), and for the FCA to issue guidance in relation to the definition of ‘politically exposed persons’, requires the FCA to make rules preventing specified charges being imposed on members of pension schemes who wish to take their benefits before their retirement date, gives the Treasury power to make regulations in relation to transformer vehicles, permits the extension of the Government's Pension Wise service, makes provision about the Bank sharing information with the Treasury about resolution planning, and allows for some flexibility to change which legal entities are authorised to issue commercial banknotes in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland (Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan) Act 2016

This Act gives effect to a number of commitments contained in 'A Fresh Start: The Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan’ ("the Fresh Start Agreement")1. These include provisions aimed at ending continued paramilitary activity and measures to promote fiscal transparency.

Enterprise Act 2016

The Act deals with a range of Government commitments which are intended to support the growth of enterprise in the United Kingdom. The Act: establishes a Small Business Commissioner, to enable small businesses to resolve disputes with larger businesses and avoid future issues; expands the deregulation target to include regulators; requires regulators subject to the duty to have regard to the Regulators' Code and/or the Growth Duty to report on the effect these duties have had on the way they exercise the functions to which these duties apply; extends the Primary Authority scheme to make it easier for more businesses to join; protects the term apprenticeship in law, with a view to ensuring that apprentices have access to high quality training; gives powers to set targets for apprentice numbers in the public sector; requires insurers to pay insurance claims within a reasonable time; reforms the business rates appeals system and reduces the burdens for businesses when dealing with local authorities in relation to business rates; extends the rights of shop workers working on Sundays; simplifies and updates the Industrial Development Act 1982; repeals some of the legislation relating to the Green Investment Bank in order to allow it to be classified as in the private sector; includes provisions concerning the pubs code.

Scotland Act 2016

The Scotland Act 2016 delivers the Smith Commission Agreement, which was published in November 2014 having been agreed by all the political parties in Scotland.

NHS (Charitable Trusts Etc) Act 2016

The NHS (Charitable Trusts Etc) Act 2016 makes provision in relation to two main subject matters. First, it makes provision to remove the Secretary of State’s powers to appoint trustees for NHS bodies, and to appoint special trustees, in England, and makes amendments to primary legislation consequential on the removal of those powers. This seeks to fulfil a commitment made by the government in 2014, following a consultation on the regulation of NHS charities, to move towards greater independence for NHS charities and away from the Secretary of State appointing bodies of separate trustees for NHS bodies.

Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Act 2016

The Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Act 2016 seeks to promote access to innovative medical treatments including the off-label use of medicines and the use of unlicensed medicines.

Riot Compensation Act 2016

The Act repeals the Riot (Damages) Act 1886 ("the 1886 Act") and creates a new scheme which allows compensation to be claimed for property that is damaged, destroyed or stolen in the course of a riot. Claims for compensation may be made in respect of property that was not insured, or was not adequately insured, against such loss or damage. The Act also allows an insurance company which has settled a claim in respect of loss or damage to property during a riot to reclaim the compensation they have paid out.

Education and Adoption Act 2016

This Act makes provision about schools in England that are causing concern, including provision about their conversion into academies and about intervention powers; and makes provision about joint arrangements for carrying out local authority adoption functions in England.

European Union (Approvals) Act 2015 (repealed)

The purpose of the Act is to approve two draft decisions of the Council of the European Union. This is to fulfil a requirement in section 8 of the European Union Act 2011 ("2011 Act") which enables the United Kingdom to vote in favour of the draft decisions.

European Union Referendum Act 2015

The European Union Referendum Act 2015 ("the Act") has 14 sections and 3 Schedules. A summary of, and background to, the Act is provided below.

National Insurance Contributions (Rate Ceilings) Act 2015

The National Insurance Contributions (Rate Ceilings) Act 2015 provides that, for the duration of this Parliament, the rate of Class 1, Class 1A and Class 1B National Insurance contributions ("NICs") paid by employees, employers and third parties shall not exceed the current rates and the Upper Earnings Limit ("UEL") shall not exceed the Higher Rate Threshold (HRT) for income tax.

Northern Ireland (Welfare Reform) Act 2015

This Act deals with: providing a power by Order in Council to: Legislate for welfare reform in Northern Ireland. Confer power on the Secretary of State or on a Northern Ireland department to make further provision by regulations or order.

European Union (Finance) Act 2015

The purpose of the European Union (Finance) Act 2015 is to enable the United Kingdom to give effect to the new Own Resources Decision of the European Union (EU Council Decision of 26 May 2014: 2014/335/EU, Euratom), amending the arrangements for the financing of the annual budget of the EU.

Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015

1. The Act has a single purpose, which is to enable vacancies among Church of England bishops in the House of Lords to be filled, for a limited period, by female bishops instead of male bishops who would otherwise have become members of the House under the Bishoprics Act 1878.