The Senedd Research has published an analysis of building safety remediation progress in Wales, eight years after the Grenfell tragedy. Although Aluminium Composite Material cladding has been removed from all affected Welsh buildings, broader safety concerns persist. The Building Safety (Wales) Bill, currently at Stage 1 of the Senedd’s legislative process, focuses on establishing future safety regimes rather than accelerating current remediation efforts. The Welsh Government’s Building Safety Programme has identified 461 buildings with safety issues, with 60% located in the private sector and 40% in social housing. To date, only 43% of these buildings have either completed or initiated remediation work. Progress is particularly slow for the 161 buildings under the responsibility of major developers, with only 30% having begun or completed the necessary work and only four fully remediated.

The Welsh Government has announced that the Senedd has passed the Building Safety (Wales) Bill. The legislation establishes a new building safety regime for residents of multi-occupied buildings across Wales, regardless of building height or tenure. The legislation, developed in response to the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy, is based on three core principles: (1) safety requirements, including mandating that fire risk assessments be conducted by competent persons, with criminal penalties for non-compliance; (2) accountability measures establishing clear legal responsibilities for building managers and (3) resident empowerment provisions through clearer routes to redress and increased involvement in building safety matters.

The Building Safety (Wales) Bill has advanced to Stage 2 committee consideration as of 10 December 2025, following the agreement on the Legislative Consent Motion and Financial Resolution. Introduced by Cabinet Secretary Jayne Bryant MS, the Bill seeks to establish a comprehensive building safety regime for multi-occupied residential buildings in Wales. It requires the registration of buildings that are at least 11 metres high or comprise five or more storeys, and it assigns new responsibilities to local authorities, designating them as building safety and fire and rescue authorities.

The Senedd has progressed the Building Safety (Wales) Bill to Stage 3 plenary consideration following the completion of Stage 2 committee proceedings on 29 January 2026. Introduced by Cabinet Secretary Jayne Bryant MS, the Bill seeks to establish a comprehensive building safety regime for multi-occupied residential buildings in Wales. It requires the registration of buildings that are at least 11 metres high or comprise five or more storeys, and it assigns new responsibilities to local authorities, designating them as building safety and fire and rescue authorities.

1. Have there been any recent developments regarding the Senegalese merger control regime and are any updates/developments expected in the coming year? Are there any other ‘hot’ merger control issues in Senegal? While Senegal does have a competition law regime which is outlined in Law No. 94-63 dated 22 August 1994 on Prices, Competition and Economic Disputes and implementing Decree No. 95-77 dated 20 January 1995 (the Competition Law), this regulation does not provide for merger control. Furthermore, while the National Competition Commission (NCC) exists under the Competition Law, it is currently not operational. Senegal is a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine) (WAEMU) and is subject to the competition rules and regulations of WAEMU, found in Directive 02/2002/CM/UEMOA (WAEMU Regulations). WAEMU has exclusive jurisdiction over merger control within its member states. The NCC is empowered to monitor competition in the internal market, report any anticompetitive conduct and transfer any filing seeking negative clearance or individual exception to the WAEMU Commission. However, as the NCC is not currently functional,

SCCO Guide refers to this as the SCCO and it is defined as the Senior Courts Costs Office, the postal address of which is Thomas More Building, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, WC2A 2LL.

Debt finance provided by the Senior Lender.

The lender which, by itself or as lead party of a syndicate of lenders, provides any Senior Debt.

The Senior Master of the King’s Bench Division (KBD), Senior Master Cook, has circulated the 'King Bench Masters Cost Management Hearings Guidance Note'. This Note is designed to facilitate preparation for cost management hearings in the KBD, involving high-value personal injury and clinical negligence claims. Its objective is to offer a 'neutral approach' to addressing frequently encountered issues, thereby encouraging the resolution of these issues during the budgeting process.

The Senior President of Tribunals has issued a Practice Statement, effective 6 January 2025, authorising designated legal officers to exercise certain functions of Employment Tribunals. Under the supervision of an Employment Judge and in accordance with guidance from the Presidents of Employment Tribunals, legal officers may make various orders and determinations. These include extending or shortening time limits, making referrals, giving directions on claim form service, postponing hearings, and dismissing claims. The authorisation aims to streamline tribunal processes, but parties retain the right to request that a judge reconsider any decision made by a legal officer within 14 days of notification.

The Senior President of Tribunals has issued an updated Practice Statement, authorising designated legal officers to exercise certain judicial functions in Employment Tribunals. The Practice Statement updates and supersedes the previous Practice Statement dated 6 January 2025.

Law360: The Serious Fraud Office (SFO)'s chief operating officer is set to leave after less than two years on the job, leaving a vacancy at the top of the white-collar crime prosecutor as it undergoes a shake-up in leadership.