This Practice Note looks at the New Homes Quality Code (NHQC) and the Consumer Code for Home Builders (Consumer Code). It discusses their key features, who must comply with them, and their overall aims. Buyers of new build homes need to check which code governs their purchase. Building Safety Act 2022 and the new homes ombudsman scheme Section 136 of the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022) makes provision for the Secretary of State to establish a new homes ombudsman scheme. BSA 2022, s 142 also contains provision for the Secretary of State to issue or approve a code of practice about standards of conduct and standards of quality expected of members of the scheme. These provisions are not yet in force although the government had stated that the new homes ombudsman scheme would come into force within 12–18 months of BSA 2022 receiving Royal Assent (which took place on 28 April 2022). In the UK government response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) market study into housebuilding

FORTHCOMING CHANGES: At Budget 2025 on 26 November 2025, the government announced that it would make minor corrective amendments to the residence-based tax regime introduced in Finance Act 2025. Key points include: • qualifying new residents for the foreign income and gains (FIG) regime must be at least 10 years old at the beginning of the tax year • ensuring that claims for relief under the FIG regime can be deducted only from the foreign income, foreign employment income or foreign gains to which they relate • alignment of the qualifying asset holding company (QAHC) rules so that carried-interest-style returns connected with services to a QAHC qualify for relief under the FIG regime • correction to the capital gains tax (CGT) residence test for personal representatives to ensure that they are not UK resident where the deceased was UK non-resident but was a long-term UK resident for inheritance tax purposes • the requirement that an individual must file a tax return where they are not entitled to the annual exempt amount for CGT

The Immigration, Nationality and Passport (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 were made on 19 March 2024. The instrument will come into force on various dates and will amend the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018 to change various fees. Details are set out below, in the order that they will come into force.

MLex: The new procedure for reaching settlements as part of antitrust probes in Ireland (published today by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission) will boost its ability to efficiently enforce competition law, CCPC member Úna Butler said. Under the new framework, the watchdog can agree to levy a reduced fine where a company acknowledges a breach of competition rules, thus agreeing to a streamlined investigation with a view to speedy resolution.

The London Court of International Arbitration's (LCIA) new director general Kevin Nash has outlined plans to introduce fast-track arbitration procedures and expand into new sectors during his first public speaking engagement. Nash confirmed the LCIA is considering adding fast-track procedures to its rules, supported by the new Arbitration Act 2025's summary dismissal provisions. Nash identified intellectual property, technology, fintech and insurance as target growth sectors, while highlighting geographical expansion plans into South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The LCIA also recently published new EDI guidelines aimed at increasing tribunal diversity.

The Delivery Director for Civil, Family and Tribunals in London, Thriza Mullins, has written to court users with an update on plans to open a new tribunal building in London. Purchased in 2022, 7 Newgate Street is located next to the Central Criminal Court and will house 30 hearing rooms. It will be known as the London Tribunals Centre. It was confirmed in January 2025 that staff would occupy the London Tribunals Centre in December 2025, and hearings would take place in the New Year of 2026. According to the update, it is expected that the first hearings will take place at the building in February 2026. The update states that Newgate Street will bring tribunals together in one new location, providing a modern, flexible and sustainable venue for the future.

Life Sciences analysis: Hélène Boland, senior associate and Fabien Roy, partner of Hogan Lovells, consider the key takeaways from the MDCG 2025-6 guidance on the interplay between the MDR/IVDR and the EU AI Act.

The Home Office has issued revised guidance which confirms the renaming of the Destitute Domestic Violence (DDV) concession as the Migrants Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession, further to the introduction of Immigration Rules, Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse from 31 January 2024. The renamed concession, which on successful application provides a period of three months immigration status to allow a person with permission as a partner under Appendix FM, other than a fiancé/proposed civil partner (unless the sponsoring partner has limited leave as a worker or business person under Appendix ECAA Extension of Stay, or under Appendix Statelessness), Appendix Family Reunion (Protection) and Appendix Armed Forces to leave an abusive relationship. During this period they need to prepare and submit an application for settlement under Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse, or make arrangements to leave the UK. The three months leave granted allows recourse to public funds, and permission to work. In a significant new development, the new version concession also allows persons with leave as a partner in work, economic and study routes (including partners of Graduates) to apply for three months leave under the concession, although this is just to give them support to prepare to leave the UK (or submit an application in another route), and it remains the case that they cannot submit an application under Appendix Victims of Domestic Abuse. This change is stated to be a policy response to the findings of the Support for Migrant Victims (SMV) Scheme, which was initially run as a pilot between July 2021 and July 2022. The guidance also notes that where a person makes a successful application under the concession, that will operate to vary their existing permission (ie cut it short to three months, if they have more extant leave than that).

The government has published a new version of the Ministerial Code, which sets out the standards expected of ministers.

A government reshuffle in early September 2025 has led to the full replacement of the ministerial team at the Home Office. The new ministers dealing with immigration matters are Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP, Secretary of State for the Home Department (Home Secretary); Alex Norris MP, Minister for Border Security and Asylum; and Mike Tapp MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Migration and Citizenship).

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published a new suite of guidance on various aspects of the procedure of obtaining development consent for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) under the Planning Act 2008 which will come into force on 24 July 2026 and replace existing guidance. Alongside this, it has updated the National Infrastructure Planning Guidance Portal with the new planning. The changes to the guidance reflect the reforms to the NSIP consenting regime introduced by the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 (PIA 2025).

The Cabinet Office has published a new National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) setting out strategic priorities for public procurement. The NPPS is presented to Parliament pursuant to section 13(3)(c) of the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023) and comes into effect on 24 February 2025, coinciding with the PA 2023 go-live. It will remain in place until withdrawn, amended or replaced. Alongside the NPPS, the government has published two new Procurement Policy Notes on small business procurement spend targets and social value. The government has also announced plans to introduce a range of tools and measures to further support delivery of the NPPS objectives. These include further reforms requiring large contracting authorities to publish and report on targets for small business and social enterprise spend, as well as provisions to exclude suppliers from high value contracts for failure to adhere to requirements on prompt payment of invoices. The government also plans to update the Sourcing Playbook and consult on a new public interest test for contracting authorities to assess whether value is best achieved by outsourcing or keeping requirements in-house. Andrew Dean and Tom Ward at Bird & Bird and Ed Williams at DAC Beachcroft LLP comment on the latest developments.