The government announced on 23 October 2025 the start of four new consultations on key Make Work Pay measures that are included in the Employment Rights Bill.

The UK government has launched a new framework to utilise artificial intelligence (AI) in public project delivery, aiming to enhance efficiency and productivity. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) will oversee experimentation with AI to address challenges in project delivery like overspending and delays, with the upskilling of project delivery professionals in AI and data analytics. Cabinet Office Minister, Baroness Neville-Rolfe, emphasised the potential of AI to ‘significantly benefit government project delivery and save the taxpayer money’. The framework also recommended that barriers to sharing data should be removed where appropriate, by developing common standards, infrastructure and processes, so that the potential of new technology can be realised.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has announced the launch of the formal pensions review promised as part of Labour’s pre-election manifesto pledge. The pensions review forms part of the new government’s mission to ‘boost growth and make every part of Britain better off’. The pensions review will focus on boosting investment, increasing savers’ pension pots and tackling waste in the pensions system. The government believes that an investment shift in defined contribution schemes could deliver £8 billion of new productive investment into the UK economy, while at the same time boosting pension pots for savers by over £11,000.  Described as ‘an engine for UK growth’ the £360 billion Local Government Pension Scheme is also the target of the pensions review with the government considering ways in which to unlock its investment potential while also tackling its £2 billion spend on fees and costs. The first phase of the review begins on 22 July 2024 and is being led by Emma Reynolds, the first ever joint Treasury and Department for Work and Pensions Minister (Minister for Pensions). The Chancellor and the Pensions Minister will also chair a roundtable with the pensions industry in order to begin ‘intensive industry engagement’ for the review. The first stage of the review focuses on investment and is set to examine actions to support greater productive investment and better retirement outcomes, including through further consolidation and encouraging at-scale schemes to increase returns through broader investment strategies.

The government has launched a review of parental leave and pay rights on 1 July 2025, the first stage of which is a call for evidence that will close on 26 August 2025.

Law360: The Labour government has announced a review of the personal injury discount rate in a move that could have a knock-on effect for insurance premiums for motorists.

Law360: The government said on 16 October 2024 that it would take on the surging car insurance rates faced by drivers, with a cross-party group of politicians, experts and regulators looking to get to the bottom of the problem.

The government has launched three consultations as part of its efforts to modernise the UK’s sustainability reporting framework. The consultations seek views on: (1) implementing the government’s commitment to transition planning, to support market investment in sectors that will drive the clean energy superpower mission; (2) exposure drafts of the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (SRS), which aim to provide clear and comparable information for investors on sustainability-related financial risks and opportunities; and (3) establishing a voluntary registration regime for providers of sustainability assurance. All consultations will close on 17 September 2025.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has launched the ‘Pride in Place’ programme, which is set to give communities new powers to revitalise high streets, reclaim derelict spaces and restore local pride. The programme forms part of the government’s Plan for Change and is expected to support over 330 communities across England, Scotland and Wales. It intends to introduce a community right to buy for local assets such as pubs, parks and libraries, alongside compulsory purchase powers for boarded-up shops and larger sites, including those suitable for housing or health centres. Councils are set to gain powers to block unwanted retail outlets such as gambling and vape shops. Funding decisions will be conditional on meaningful engagement with community groups, social clubs and local organisations. The government plans to work with the Scottish and Welsh Governments to tailor delivery, with corresponding funding to be provided to Northern Ireland and further detail expected.

Environment Analysis: Originally due to be published in 2023, the Land Use Framework has now entered its consultation phase. It has had a three-year journey to this point, starting life as Recommendation 9 of the 2021 National Food Strategy Report. That report started a groundswell of support on the framework, with organisations from the House of Lords to The Royal Society publishing recommendations of the idea. Written by Francesca Fitzgerald of Ardea International.

Pensions analysis: Following consultation, the government has laid regulations before Parliament that will enable Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) pension schemes to be operated on an unconnected multi-employer basis, in what is a significant development from the original single-employer design that was focused on the needs of Royal Mail. Donna Matteucci, senior consultant at Lane, Clark and Peacock, reports on the background to this consultation and its implications.

Law360, London: The government could face up to £70m in insurance claims under a temporary fire safety professional indemnity scheme it introduced in 2022, a top official said.

The Cabinet Office has updated its standard contract document collections, templates and guidance for the government’s Model Services Contract, Mid-Tier Contract and Short Form Contract. The updated documents and guidance were issued in conjunction with the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023) ‘go-live’ on 24 February 2025.