United Kingdom – October 22, 2026 -- The UK government is consulting on new legislation to strengthen the security and resilience of critical undersea infrastructure (CUI) serving the country, covering subsea cables, pipelines and interconnectors.
Government seeks views on two changes to fire-and-rehire protections
One consultation covers two proposed changes to fire-and-rehire protections, relating to benefits and expenses and to shift patterns. A separate consultation covers the revised code of practice on dismissal and re-engagement. A third seeks views on enhancing workplace protections against dismissal for pregnant women and new mothers.
The government has also published an updated implementation timeline for its Plan to Make Work Pay and the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Energy and product-standard proposals target gas networks and standby mode
The government is seeking evidence on how gas network and disconnection costs should be recovered as gas demand changes. A further consultation proposes improved ecodesign standards for standby mode.
A separate publication outlines the role of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme in UK decarbonisation and how the UK ETS Authority is developing the scheme.
Lenders to provide finance options for homeowners with spray foam
The government is working with lenders to ensure homeowners with spray foam in their property can access finance options.
Compliance scoring, Health Bill and facial recognition documents published
The Environment Agency has set out how it assesses and scores compliance with environmental permits, abstraction licences and impounding licences. Impact assessments and economic notes relating to the Crime and Policing Act 2026 are also available.
The Department of Health and Social Care has published documents on the Health Bill, covering its context, objectives and specific measures, and on strengthened patient safety. A data protection impact assessment (DPIA) covers live facial recognition software, hardware and associated operational processing.