The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has updated the UK’s long-term international migration estimates, introducing new methodologies based on administrative data from the Department for Work and Pensions’ Registration and Population Interaction Database (RAPID) and the Home Office’s Borders and Immigration (HOBI) system. These replace the long-used International Passenger Survey, which the ONS says had been stretched beyond its original purpose. The revisions show that net migration peaked earlier and higher than previously estimated—at 944,000 in the year ending March 2023—before falling to 345,000 in December 2024. The updated methods have led to downward revisions in British nationals’ net migration, now estimated at –114,000, and upward adjustments in EU+ estimates, reflecting improved accuracy from visa and travel data. The changes mark a major step in modernising UK migration statistics, ensuring more robust and timely measurement of immigration and emigration trends.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published data indicating a 0.3% decrease in construction output for August 2025. This was driven by a 1.5% decrease in repair and maintenance, as new work rose by 0.5%. At the sectoral level, five out of nine sectors experienced growth in the three months to August 2025, with the main contributor being private housing repair and maintenance, which increased by 5.6%. Total construction output is estimated to have increased by 0.3% over the three months leading up to August 2025, attributed to growth in repair and maintenance (1.3%), while new work fell by 0.4%.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published data indicating a 0.5% decrease in construction output for December 2025. This was attributed to a 2.5% decrease in repair and maintenance, while new work grew by 1%. At the sectoral level, seven out of nine sectors recorded a decline in output in Q4 2025, with the main contributor being private new housing, which decreased by 3.6%. Total construction output is estimated to have decreased by 2.1% in Q4 2025, attributed to declines in both new work (2.6%) and repair and maintenance (1.5%). Annual construction output increased by 1.8% in 2025 compared with 2024, representing the fifth consecutive year of annual growth. The annual rate of construction output price growth was 2.7% in the 12 months to December 2025. Total construction new orders fell by 3.8% in Q4 2025 compared with Q3 2025, attributed to decreases in private commercial and private industrial new work.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published the 2025 provisional results and measures of employee earnings and working hours, drawing on data from the annual survey of hours and earnings. The results provide annual estimates of paid hours worked and earnings for UK employees, categorised by sex and employment type, including full-time and part-time.

The Office for Place (OP) has announced that it has selected ten new areas to benefit from additional funding and support as a part of the Design Code Pathfinder Programme. The OP has selected five local authorities to evaluate their existing design standards, the impact they have on the certainty of planning decision-making and to update their design standards, with each of these authorities benefitting from £80,000. The local authorities of five other areas have been selected to produce exemplars that will cover issues relevant to the development of a design code, with each of these authorities benefitting from £120,000. The exemplars will be used to aid other local authorities in producing their own design codes.

The Office for Professional Body AML Supervision (OPBAS) report found that most Professional Body Supervisors (PBSs) can comply with their obligations under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs), however there is a lack of full and consistent effectiveness across the PBSs that the FCA assessed this year, with none fully effective in all OPBAS sourcebook areas.

The Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision (OPBAS) has published a report on its 2024/25 supervisory work assessing the effectiveness of professional body supervisors (PBSs) in the legal and accountancy sectors. Following reviews of six PBSs against the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, OPBAS found that overall standards have improved, with most PBSs rated effective or largely effective in governance, risk-based approaches, staff competence and record keeping. However, it identified continuing weaknesses in supervision and enforcement, noting that some PBSs rely excessively on an ‘assisted compliance’ approach, apply insufficiently dissuasive disciplinary measures and allow extended remediation periods. Enforcement outcomes differ between sectors, with lower average fines in the accountancy sector and concerns about the recovery of penalties, potentially weakening deterrence.

CASE HUB ARCHIVED–this archived case hub reflects the position at the date of the decision of 5 March 2013; it is no longer maintained. See further, timeline and related cases. Case facts Outline European Commission Article 102 TFEU investigation into OPCOM/Romanian power exchange (case number COMP/39.984). The Commission issued its infringement decision on 05/03/2014, imposing a fine of €1.031m. Latest developments On 5 March 2014, the Commission issued its infringement decision and fined OPCOM and Transelectrica €1.031m (the two companies are jointly liable). Parties OPCOM and Transelectrica OPCOM operates the only power exchange in Romania. Opcom is 100% owned by Transelectrica.Transelectrica is the operator of the Romanian electricity transmission system). Market(s) Trading of electricity on the Romanian wholesale market, namely power exchange and the facilitation of

Operational Experience

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) (Scotland) has published guidance on what to do when a error message appears when accessing or downloading OPG PDF documents.

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) Scotland has notified customers that certain fees payable to the Public Guardian will increase as per the Adults with Incapacity (Public Guardian’s Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, SSI 2024/240 which comes into force on 1 November 2024. Fees for submitting a power of attorney document for registration will increase to £96, registration fees for intervention or guardianship orders will increase to £107 and registration fees for access to funds (Part 3) also increases to £107.

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) Scotland has notified customers that the fees payable to the Public Guardian will increase. The fee for submitting a power of attorney document for registration will increase to £87. Registration fees for intervention or guardianship orders will increase to £97 as well as registration fees for access to funds.