This Practice Note sets out what chancel repair liability is, how it affects a property, the problems associated with it and the ways in which to deal with the risk of liability, including chancel repair liability insurance. It also considers chancel repair liability as a former overriding interest and its possible reform in the future. What is chancel repair liability? Chancel repair liability is an ancient interest which potentially benefits pre-Reformation churches in England and Wales. It enables parochial church councils to require owners of former rectorial land to fund repairs to the chancel (the space around the altar at the east end of the building) of their local church. The liability arises because, historically, the rector of a church was responsible for repairs to the chancel and was able to pay for these repairs with the income from rectorial land. The liability to pay for repairs attached to the rectorial land and, in some instances, the liability continues notwithstanding that the land has been subsequently sub-divided into various parcels and sold to individuals or organisations who are

The Chancellor and Health Secretary have announced plans to increase funding for elective NHS appointments ahead of the upcoming Budget. The funding will support an additional 40,000 elective appointments a week and two million more NHS operations, scans and appointments a year. The Chancellor has confirmed that these plans will work in conjunction with an uplift of capital investment.

The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, ahead of the Spring Budget in early March 2024, has announced a significant investment package in the life sciences and manufacturing sectors to grow the economy, boost health resilience and support jobs across the UK. The package includes £7.5m to support two pharmaceutical companies who are investing a combined £84m to expand their manufacturing plants in the UK and £520m for medium and small-sized companies and large investments to build resilience for future health emergencies. For the commercial sector, £73m is awarded for electric vehicle manufacturing, £200m for aerospace research and development projects and £120m to support expansion of low carbon manufacturing supply chains as part of the Green Industries Growth Accelerator project.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has announced the government’s support for a third runway at Heathrow Airport. Reeves stated that the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), which guides decision making on granting development consent for the new runway, ensuring that any expansion is delivered in line with the government’s legal, environmental, and climate obligations. The Department for Transport (DfT) has also published a policy paper, providing an update on airport expansion and sustainable aviation. It invites proposals for the Heathrow third runway to be submitted by summer 2025 and outlines the government’s next steps once these proposals are received, including commencing a review of the ANPS.

Law360, London: The chancellor said on 3 December 2024 that Tom Hayhoe, a health service and regulatory veteran, has been appointed as the coronavirus (COVID-19) corruption commissioner to claw back money wasted in pandemic-era fraud with a potential cost of up to £7.3bn.

Employment analysis: Will there be a rush of UK contractors back to tax-efficient PSC contracting models? Kevin Barrow, partner, Frances Lewis, consultant, Ian Hyde, partner and head of tax disputes, and Shaziya Kurmani, associate director, all at Osborne Clarke, comment on the implications of Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng’s plans to repeal the IR35 reforms.

The chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has announced plans to roll back some of the regulation introduced in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis in order to facilitate more investment into the UK economy. Reeves said a new government strategy will boost economic growth with rule changes across financial services and insurance to unlock private investment and reinvigorate capital markets. The government intends to publish a programme to drive innovation in payments and will also launch a pilot to deliver a digital gilt instrument.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, has convened the first meeting of the British Infrastructure Taskforce, as part of a new strategy that involves the government collaborating with businesses to create policies that encourage private investment and boost confidence in UK infrastructure investments. The Taskforce will meet regularly and examine various options to support the government's infrastructure objectives, aiming to stimulate growth across the nation. Some of the UK’s biggest financial companies including LLoyds, HSBC, and M&G will be in attendance.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has launched the Office for Investment: Financial Services, a support service for global financial services firms investing in the UK. The Chancellor announced the fully operational service during the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s Annual Meetings in Washington DC. The free service, established as a partnership between HM Treasury (HMT), financial regulators and the City of London Corporation, is intended to help firms navigate regulatory processes and reduce uncertainty. The Office for Investment: Financial Services will also leverage HMT’s financial services clusters to actively promote investment opportunities and support the delivery of infrastructure across all UK nations and regions.

HM Treasury has announced that as part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plan for a Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, Reeves will host a series of industry forums to engage with leaders from various sectors of the industry, including retail banking, wholesale and international banking, insurance and reinsurance, asset management, fintech, and the mutuals and co-operatives sector. The Strategy, scheduled for publication in spring 2025, will focus on fostering innovation and investment within the financial services sector in order to leverage the sector's central role in driving economic activity.  The forums will build upon the responses received to the Government’s Call for Evidence on the Strategy, which closed in December 2024.

The Chancellor of the High Court has issued an updated Practice Statement regarding Schemes of Arrangement and Restructuring Plans under the Companies Act 2006, following a consultation that began on 9 May 2025. The update introduces several key changes, including the exclusion of members' schemes from the requirement to use a specific claim form, the establishment of provisions for restricting access to court files and for anonymisation, and the clarification that the listing note status is considered an internal court document. In addition, the Statement provides new guidance on the timing for convening hearings and these changes will apply to all applications for a meetings order addressed at a convening hearing from 1 January 2026.

The Cabinet Office has published the notice of final order pertaining to the Acquisition of 50% of AGR-Trina BF Holdco Limited by Trina Solar UK Investments Limited. This is the final order made by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSIA 2021).