The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has announced that it will work with the Institute of International Finance, over 40 private sector financial firms, and a group of leading central banks to explore how tokenisation can enhance wholesale cross-border payments. Project Agorá is structured as a public-private collaboration, and is now in its design phase.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) have published the government’s response to the consultation on enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers, alongside an impact assessment. The new protections would replace the ‘band of reasonable responses’ test with a proportionality test during the relevant protected period, but retain all five potentially fair reasons for dismissal. The protections would be a day-one right and extend to specified forms of family leave. The government intends to implement the measures through regulations in October 2027.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) and HM Treasury (HMT) have published the government's response to the Small Business Regulatory Taskforce report. The government has accepted all but one of the Taskforce's 15 recommendations. As part of plans to reduce repeated information requests and administrative burdens on small and medium-sized enterprises, the government has paused the requirement for small companies and micro-entities to file profit and loss (P&L) accounts with Companies House from April 2028 while it explores streamlined Companies House and HMRC filing. Companies House has removed references to the paused requirement from its accounts filing guidance. Companies will continue to be able to file abridged accounts and smaller companies will retain the option to remove P&L information from accounts filed at Companies House after 1 April 2028.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) has published a notice announcing that the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has expanded its dual-use and military goods, software and technology open general export licences (OGELs) from 14 October 2026. The dual-use OGEL now covers 12 additional destinations. The military OGEL for government and, where applicable, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) end-users covers seven additional destinations, while the broader military OGEL extends eligibility to commercial and government/NATO end-users in 17 destinations. Based on historical licensing trends, government expert assessments and exporter feedback, the changes could remove the need for more than 800 low-risk standard individual export licence applications annually, reducing delays and administrative burdens while allowing ECJU to focus on more sensitive exports.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) has published a notice outlining proposed amendments to the UK’s strategic export control framework. The proposed regulations would amend the Export Control Order 2008, SI 2008/3231, and the assimilated Council Regulation (EC) No 428/2009 to update controls on military and dual-use goods, software and technology, including advanced and emerging technologies. The amendments would also update country listings in Schedule 4 to the 2008 Order and revoke General Export Authorisation No 001 (GEA001) in Great Britain, with transitional arrangements allowing exporters registered to use GEA001 when the regulations come into force to continue using it until 1 April 2027. EU GEA001 would continue to apply to exports from Northern Ireland under the applicable EU dual-use framework. Subject to ministerial and Parliamentary approval, the regulations are expected to be laid before Parliament in November 2026 and come into force in early December 2026.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) has launched a consultation on a draft revised statutory Code of Practice on Fair and Transparent Distribution of Tips. The consultation closes on 29 September 2026.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) is consulting on targeted reforms to the employment status framework for employment rights in England, Wales and Scotland. The government is seeking views on targeted reform of employment status to tackle what is sees as the most pressing issues with the current rights framework, such as bogus self-employment and the use of substitution clauses. The consultation closes at 11.55 pm on 8 January 2027.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) has launched a consultation on a revised statutory code of practice on dismissal and re-engagement to reflect new protections set to be introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA 2025). Under ERA 2025, dismissals to impose certain ‘restricted variations’ to employment contracts will be automatically unfair unless a narrow financial difficulties exemption applies. Restricted variations will include reductions to pay, changes to total hours, reductions in leave entitlements, changes to pensions and specified shift patterns. ERA 2025 will also make it automatically unfair to dismiss an employee to replace them with a non-employee undertaking substantially the same work, unless the financial difficulties exemption applies. The proposed code sets out employers' obligations and good practice on information-sharing, consultation and negotiation, with dismissal and re-engagement treated as a last resort. The consultation closes on 17 December 2026.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) has launched a consultation on reforming the whistleblowing framework under the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA 1996) and introducing a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) financial rewards scheme for reporting economic crime. The consultation closes at 11.59 pm on 8 January 2027.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) has launched a consultation on proposals to simplify and modernise the UK’s corporate reporting framework. The proposals include clarifying that the primary purpose of annual reports and accounts is to provide financially material information to investors and creditors, rationalising the company categories, thresholds and exemptions that determine reporting requirements, and extending audit and other reporting exemptions to certain medium-sized companies. BIST is also seeking evidence on the value of mandatory non-financial reporting requirements for private companies and the possible introduction of a new reporting threshold for ‘very large’ companies. The consultation closes on 30 November 2026.

The Department for Business, Innovations, Science and Trade (BIST) has publicly named 658 employers for failing to pay the national minimum wage, with around £4 million repaid to more than 27,000 workers. The employers were also issued with penalties totalling £7 million. The latest naming round, number 24, is the first since the Fair Work Agency was established in April 2026.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) has published the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-UK joint declaration on economic cooperation. The declaration sets out a framework for enhanced cooperation between ASEAN and the UK across trade, investment, regulation, the digital economy, innovation, clean energy and inclusive growth.