The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) has informed the Government, in its report, that it must either comply with the Ministerial Code or rewrite it. This follows concerns raised by the Speaker and MPs about ministers announcing the “most important” policies to the media before Parliament, with the Committee emphasising that the current situation is untenable. The Committee recommends that, if the Government does not recommit to the current principles of the Code, it should consult MPs and the Speaker’s Office on revising it to reflect evolving media demands. It notes that defining what constitutes the “most important” announcements cannot be done through rigid criteria and should instead be assessed on a case-by-case basis. PACAC also advises MPs to make greater use of urgent questions where oral statements are not provided and urges increased use of written ministerial statements to keep Members informed.

Law360: Firefighters who took the government to task over civil service pension reforms are set to receive more than £33m in payouts in an attempt to settle their claims over the 2015 reforms.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has announced that the government is inviting local authorities across England to bid for a £7m fund to find innovative ways to improve the air quality in their areas. The Air Quality Grant will support councils to develop and implement measures that benefit schools, businesses and communities, reduce the effects of air pollution on people’s health, as well as improve knowledge about the resulting health risks. Applications for the grant will close on 23 September 2022.

Employment analysis: On 23 June 2026, the government published its response to the consultation Make Work Pay: protection from detriments for taking industrial action, confirming that it intends to introduce regulations prohibiting all detriments imposed on workers for the sole or main purpose of penalising, preventing or deterring them from taking industrial action. The government will also add claims under section 236A of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRCA 1992) to Schedule A2 to TULRCA 1992, enabling employment tribunals to adjust compensation awards by up to 25% where there has been an unreasonable failure to follow the Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures.

Law360, London: The government has ordered a review of the law governing insurance mutuals, as it said it would double the number of companies operating in the sector.

The government has published its response to a House of Lords European Affairs Committee (EAC) report on its approach to resetting relations with the EU following the May 2025 UK-EU summit. The response sets out the government’s rationale for recent agreements, as well as the status of ongoing negotiations.

Law360: The new Labour government announced on 17 July 2024 that it will introduce a new Pension Schemes Bill that aims to consolidate the cluttered retirement savings sector and strengthen pension investment.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Home Office and Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (ODIA) have announced that licensed premises in England and Wales may accept certified digital proof of age for alcohol sales. The change, made by the Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) (Amendment) Order 2026, SI 2026/1022, enables businesses to use certified digital verification services alongside physical identification checks. Digital proof of age must be provided through a certified Digital Verification Service listed on the statutory register on GOV.UK and meeting the relevant standards under the UK digital verification services trust framework. Use of digital proof of age is voluntary, and the changes do not alter the legal drinking age or existing obligations to prevent underage alcohol sales. The changes provide licensed businesses with an additional means of verifying that customers are aged 18 or over. Customers may use certified digital services to confirm that they are over 18 without presenting physical identification and, depending on the service used, without disclosing additional personal information such as their name or address. The Home Office has also updated the statutory guidance for licensing authorities issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 to reflect the change. Separate non-statutory guidance has also been published for businesses and digital verification providers on adopting the technology and the requirements for using certified services.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has announced the commencement of trials to explore the use of AI agents in public service delivery. The initiative forms part of the UK’s broader strategy to modernise government services and is aligned with the AI Opportunities Action Plan.

Law360: The government has said it will push through legislation to deal with the legal fallout for pension trustees from a landmark Court of Appeal ruling in 2024 in the Virgin Media v NTLTrustees judgment.

Law360: The Home Office has announced that it is launching a probe after faulty mobile phone data is believed to have been used by law enforcement as evidence in criminal cases for over a year, as revealed by the Evening Standard in February 2024.

Law360: The UK government was urged by a financial services group on 10 February 2025 to spend more on fighting economic crime and to require that tech companies contribute to fraud reimbursement.