Purpose
This update summarises key legal developments issued between 1 and 30 April 2026. It highlights changes affecting Quality, Environment, Information Security and Health & Safety, supporting organisations in identifying new and emerging compliance duties.
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Upcoming legislation
These measures have been announced or laid in draft form but are not yet official legislation.
REACH (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026 (Draft)
Status: Draft – affirmative procedure
Proposes amendments to UK REACH, including extensions to compliance check deadlines and postIP completion transitional periods. The draft Regulations support implementation of the Alternative Transitional Registration model and remain subject to parliamentary approval.
New legislation
These legal texts were made and published during April 2026 and now form part of official legislation, even where commencement occurs at a later date.
Employment Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
Commenced: 1 April and 6 April 2026
Brings further provisions of the Employment Rights Act 2025 into force, including protections relating to harassmentconnected disclosures, confidentiality provisions, dismissal following statutory family leave, equality action plans, collective consultation and employer recordkeeping duties.
Employment Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2026
Commenced: 6 April 2026
Introduces reformed statutory sick pay provisions, including removal of waiting days and amended eligibility rules, supported by transitional arrangements.
Employee Study and Training (Procedural Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
Commencement: 1 October 2026
Extends the employment tribunal time limit for complaints relating to failures to comply with procedural requirements for study or training requests.
Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (Employment and Earnings) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026
Commenced: 6 April 2026
Amends employment and earnings rules for statutory parental bereavement pay in Northern Ireland, including revised calculation methodologies.
Digital Waste Tracking (Wales) Regulations 2026
Commencement: 1 October 2026
Introduces mandatory digital waste tracking for permitted wastereceiving facilities in Wales as part of the UKwide digital waste tracking system.
Digital Waste Tracking (Scotland) Regulations 2026
Commencement: 1 January 2027
Establishes mandatory digital waste tracking requirements in Scotland for permitted and licensed wastereceiving facilities, following a voluntary adoption period.
Finance Act 2026 – UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
Commencement: From 1 January 2027
Introduces a carbonbased tax on specified imported goods based on embedded greenhouse gas emissions, with registration and preparatory obligations during 2026.
Data Protection Act 2018 (Code of Practice on Artificial Intelligence and Automated DecisionMaking) Regulations 2026
Commencement: 12 May 2026
Requires the Information Commissioner to prepare and publish a statutory code of practice on AI and automated decisionmaking, with evidential status in data protection enforcement.
Chemicals (Health and Safety) (Amendment, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026
Commencement: 21 May 2026
Amends Great Britain’s chemicals regulatory framework, including GB CLP, GB Biocidal Products Regulation and GB Prior Informed Consent regimes, supported by transitional provisions.
Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2026
Commencement: 24 March 2027 (with staged commencement for higherrisk buildings from 24 September 2027)
Amends the Building Regulations framework in England to implement the Future Homes and Buildings Standards, supported by revised Approved Documents and transitional provisions.
Significant amendments
The following matters represent substantive changes to existing compliance frameworks, arising from legislation made in April 2026.
- Expansion of workplace protections, recordkeeping duties and statutory sick pay reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025 commencement regulations.
- Structural reform of Great Britain’s chemicals regulatory regimes under amended GB CLP, GB BPR and GB PIC frameworks.
- Introduction of mandatory digital waste tracking systems in Wales and Scotland, with phased implementation and enforcement provisions.
- Establishment of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, introducing carbonbased import taxation aligned with netzero policy objectives.
- Implementation of the Future Homes and Buildings Standards through amendments to England’s Building Regulations.
