The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Project Delivery (APPGPD) has published its first inquiry report, calling for a radical overhaul of the government’s approach to infrastructure delivery. The report warns that systemic failures in project management risk undermining the government’s infrastructure ambitions and urges ministers to embed delivery discipline across the machinery of government.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Democracy and the Constitution has published a report on the results of its inquiry into the impact that the actions of the executive has had on the constitutional role of the independent judiciary since 2016. The report was funded by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust and the Institute for Constitutional and Democratic Research assisted members of the APPG in the inquiry. It reviews the conduct of the executive towards the judiciary, the impact on the judiciary, access to justice and constitutional safeguards. The report discusses the APPG's four conclusions and three recommendations.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Intellectual Property (IP) has published a report on the UK's IP enforcement regime ahead of the renewal of the Intellectual Property Office's (IPO's) Counter-Infringement Strategy. The report states that IP crime is becoming increasingly sophisticated and linked to organised criminal activity, and recommends introducing a mandatory 'Know Your Business Customer' regime for digital platforms, adopting a greater 'follow the money' approach to tackling IP crime, providing stable funding for the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), strengthening information-sharing powers, and investing in specialist enforcement capability and border controls. The report also recommends that the IPO strengthen its coordinating role across government and enforcement bodies, improve collaboration with platforms and other intermediaries and ensure that the next Counter-Infringement Strategy addresses both counterfeiting and online piracy while maintaining a focus on prevention and consumer awareness.

Law360, London: Labour MP Gurinder Singh Josan and Conservative peer Ed Vaizey asked British banks on 11 August 2026 to explain restrictions on banking services faced by cryptocurrency and digital asset businesses, cautioning that limiting access could impair growth and undermine the UK's new regulatory regime.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Banking (APPG) has published a report titled ‘Authorised Push Payment (APP) Fraud – Who Bears the Burden?’ which estimates that APP fraud resulted in losses of £3bn in 2023—significantly higher than previously estimated. The report, dated 27 March 2025, finds that 54% of frauds originate on Meta platforms, while payment service providers' compensation rates vary widely. The Payment Services Regulator's (PSR) mandatory reimbursement requirement, which reduced its compensation cap from £415,000 to £85,000 in October 2024, faces implementation challenges with firms missing five-day payment deadlines. The APPG recommends requiring social media firms to contribute to fraud compensation schemes and establishing clearer fraud reporting pathways.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fair Banking has published a cross-party report titled ‘No Half Measures – a Blueprint to Beat APP Fraud’ outlining a nine-point strategy to address the growing threat of authorised push payment (APP) fraud in the UK. The APPG suggests how the government could adopt a ‘whole-of-ecosystem’ approach in the forthcoming update to the UK’s Fraud Strategy. It also reviews the early impact of the Payment Systems Regulator’s (PSR) mandatory reimbursement requirement (MRR), describing it as a positive step, but warns that relying solely on reimbursement risks placing excessive burdens on certain parts of the financial ecosystem while failing to tackle the root causes of fraud. The APPG calls for broader action, including considering extending reimbursement requirements to crypto firms and introducing a tech levy on social media platforms.

The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has announced that the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment (APPGEBE) has published a report, setting out recommendations to raise standards in housebuilding and placemaking. The APPGEBE’s chair, Mike Reader MP, warns that the government risks squandering a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’ if it fails to safeguard the quality of new homes and neighbourhoods while pursuing its target of delivering 1.5 million homes.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Migration and the APPG on Poverty and Inequality have published a joint report examining the effects of recent and proposed changes to UK immigration, asylum and refugee policy on poverty and inequality. The report concludes that proposed reforms to settlement routes, no recourse to public funds (NRPF), refugee protection, asylum support, English language requirements and immigration fees are likely to increase poverty, financial insecurity and inequality for some migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum, while potentially undermining wider government objectives to reduce child poverty and homelessness and promote integration and social cohesion.

Law360: New laws that allow businesses to tap into an estimated £160bn in pension surpluses must have safeguards to protect members of savings plans, Association for Professional Pension Trustees (APPT) warned on 1 September 2025.

Click the link below to download the presentation: Contents • APR/BPR changes • Spousal transferability • Why asset targeting fails • APR/BPR trust clause • Funding the trust • Case study • Case study solution • Anti- fragmentation • Administration checklist • Client communications • Pitfalls and risks Summary These

ARCHIVED: In the Budget on 30 October 2024 (Autumn Budget 2024), the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the current 100% rate of relief from IHT, which applies to the value of certain types of property, will be limited to the first £1 million of that value and the remainder will receive relief at only 50%. If the taxpayer, or the estate of the taxpayer, also owns property which is eligible for APR, the value of that property will be included in the assessment of whether the £1 million threshold is exceeded. A further change in Autumn Budget 2024 was the reduction in the rate of BPR on quoted shares which are not listed on a recognised stock exchange from 100% to 50%. The rate of relief for quoted shares designated as “not listed” on the markets of recognised stock exchanges will be reduced to 50% from 100%. These changes will take effect for deaths on or after 6 April 2026 and for lifetime gifts on or after 30 October

NOTE: On 15 July 2025, the government announced the Leeds Reforms, which include plans to streamline the SM&CR. At the same time, the PRA and FCA published consultation papers CP18/25 and CP25/21. The regulators propose a two-stage reform process, with Phase Two to follow pending legislative changes under HM Treasury consultation; see News Analysis: Reform of the SM&CR—Proposals and next steps. In February 2026, HMT consulted on the Appointed Representatives Regime including proposals to bring appointed representatives within the scope of the SM&CR. Comments closed on 9 April 2026. For detail, see SM&CR—one minute guide—Policy development. The Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR) and the Approved Persons Regime (APR) are the UK regulators’ framework for regulating individuals working in financial services. Since 2016, the SM&CR has been progressively rolled out across the financial services industry, replacing the APR—however, appointed representatives of SM&CR firms remain subject to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)'s APR. This Practice Note explains the FCA’s Statements of Principle and Code of Practice