The government has accepted the Low Pay Commission (LPC) recommendations for the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) rates to apply from 1 April 2025. In line with its updated remit, the LPC has taken into account the cost of living, including expected trends in inflation up to March 2026. The National Living Wage will apply to all workers aged 21 and over from 1 April 2025.

The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation (NMNI), chaired by Baroness Amos, has published its final report with eight recommendations to reform England's maternity and neonatal services. These call for: (1) creating a statutory Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner via the Health Bill, accountable to Parliament; (2) systematically listening to women, birthing people and families as a critical safety issue; (3) improving investigations and learning when things go wrong, including a right to independent review; (4) developing a Modern Service Framework setting national standards across the care pathway; (5) treating racism, discrimination and inequality as critical safety issues; (6) clarifying governance, accountability and regulatory oversight; (7) improving culture, teamworking and leadership across professions and (8) delivering fit-for-purpose estates and digital systems with 12-month, 5-year and 10-year investment plans. The report also calls for a review of the compensation system for adverse maternity events and requires the government to respond to the 2019 consultation on extending coronial jurisdiction to stillbirths. Obstetric claims account for 62% of the NHS's £60 billion clinical negligence provision, with settled cerebral palsy and brain damage claims reaching £1.6 billion in 2024–25.

The government has confirmed the Low Pay Commission (LPC) recommendations for the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) rates to apply from 1 April 2026, in line with the Budget 2025 announcement on 26 November 2025 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP.

An area of land designated in England, Scotland and Wales at a national level. The aims and purposes of National Parks are laid out in the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, and are to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage and to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities by the public and to seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities within the National Parks. In Scotland, there are additional aims and purposes concerning the promotion of the sustainable use of the natural resources of the area and to promote sustainable economic and social development of the area's communities. For the Broads, aims and purposes relating to navigation are included. When the aims and purposes conflict with each other, the Sandford Principle should be used to give more weight to conservation of the environment.

Scope of this Practice Note This Practice Note explains the UK government's National Payments Vision and the associated UK payments reform programme. It considers the Vision, the Payments Vision Delivery Committee (PVDC), the Payments Forward Plan, the future retail payments infrastructure programme, the proposed consolidation of the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) into the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and related reform of assimilated payment services law, Open Banking, stablecoin payments and other payments initiatives. It also considers the FCA’s 2026 regulatory priorities for payments firms. This Practice Note does not provide a full account of the existing authorisation, conduct, prudential or safeguarding requirements applying to payment institutions, electronic money institutions or registered account information service providers. Those matters are covered in Practice Notes: • UK regulation of payment services providers—essentials, and • UK regulation of electronic money—essentials This Practice Note focuses on the policy and reform programme that is expected to shape those regimes. Background to the National Payments Vision On 14 November 2024, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, unveiled

Planning analysis: The latest consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) signals a decisive move towards centralisation in planning policy. Key reforms include a strengthened national decision-making role, significant changes to green belt policy, such as an ‘affordable housing floor’ and a refined definition of ‘grey belt’ alongside adjusted criteria for veteran trees, all of which may impact site delivery. Housing reforms focus on densification and accessibility, especially near transport hubs, while climate and environmental requirements are strengthened, emphasising evidence for net zero and renewable energy. Collectively, these changes heighten complexity for development schemes and underscore the continuing importance of guiding applicants and stakeholders through this transitional landscape. Written by Adam Richards, associate, planning and compulsory purchase, Burges Salmon, Bristol.

Statutory documents published under the Planning Act 2008 setting out national policy on particular types of nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs). NPSs establish the need case for a specific type of development and provide the framework within which the Secretary of State makes decisions on NSIP applications for development consent.

National Policy Statements (NPSs) are statutory documents published in accordance with the Planning Act 2008 (PA 2008). They set out the government's policy on particular types of nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), in particular, they set out the national need for the particular type of infrastructure development which they cover. They are published separately to policy in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which does not contain policies specific to NSIPs. NPSs provide the framework within which the Secretary of State (SoS) makes its decisions on NSIP applications for development consent. Where an NPS has effect in relation to development for which an application for an order granting development consent is made, the SoS must decide the application in accordance with that NPS, unless to do so would be unlawful (for example because it would lead to non-compliance with some other obligation) or because the adverse impacts outweigh the benefits (see Making the decision whether to consent an NSIP below). See Practice Notes: Permission for nationally significant infrastructure projects, Nationally significant infrastructure projects—pre-application engagement and preparation and Application

National Savings & Investments (NS&I) is an Executive Agency of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. According to its website, NS&I is one of the largest savings organisations in the UK, with over 26 million customers and £100 billion invested. Best known for premium bonds, the organisation also offers a range of other savings and investments to suit different people's needs, including savings certificates, income bonds and children's bonds. All the products offer 100% security because NS&I is backed by HM Treasury. Individuals can buy NS&I products online, but new investors will need to supply evidence of identity and address. Giving investment advice The usual health warning applies here: practitioners cannot give investment advice unless authorised to do so by the Financial Conduct Authority. While it is permitted to tell the client about tax efficient investments generally, unless authorised to do so practitioners must not recommend any, based on the client’s circumstances. Premium bonds Premium bonds do not guarantee a rate of return because a premium bond is effectively a raffle ticket. There is a draw every

The National Security (State Threats) Bill has had its first reading in the House of Commons. The Bill would amend the National Security Act 2023 to establish a designation regime for bodies involved in foreign power threat activity. It would confer on the Secretary of State power to designate a body by regulations where they reasonably believe it is, or has been, involved in foreign power threat activity and consider designation necessary to protect the safety or interests of the UK. If passed by Parliament, the Bill is expected to come into force early in July 2026.

Banking & Finance analysis: The government has published a response to its call for evidence as to how the National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSIA 2021) is working in practice. The response sets out the areas the government plans to take forward in light of the feedback it received. This includes two areas of particular interest to the lending market—automatic enforcement provisions and Scots law share pledges.

This Checklist summarises the issues a buyer’s legal due diligence review should include in order to assess the possible impact of the UK’s National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSI Act) on the transaction. Preliminary considerations The buyer’s legal due diligence review should include consideration of the possible impact of the UK’s NSI Act on the transaction (see Practice Note: The National Security and Investment Act 2021). The key areas of due diligence relating to the NSI Act should include the following: • establishing whether the activities of any member of the target’s group falls within the scope of any of the sectors of the economy that are subject to mandatory notification under the NSI Act • if the transaction is outside the mandatory notification regime, whether there is nonetheless a substantive risk of the transaction being called-in for a national security assessment, and • investigation as to whether any member of the target’s group has been party to a trigger event since 12 November 2020, which could be subject to scrutiny and intervention