As of yesterday (April 6), a number of new laws came into effect that will affect the lives of individuals and employers, from a legal requirement for dog owners to have their pet microchipped to automatic deportation after five years for overseas workers earning less than £35,000.
HS2 legislation approved by MPs
Legislation paving the way for the high speed rail link between London and the Midlands, dubbed HS2, has been approved by an overwhelming majority of 399 MPs in its final Commons stage and will now go to the House of Lords.
Animal welfare deregulation planned
Environment Secretary Liz Truss has announced that the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will be scrapping current guidelines on a range of statutory animal welfare codes and making the animal agriculture industry self-regulating.
Let the music playLet the music play
New legislation will protect live music venues in the UK from property developers after worrying research last year found that half the late night music venues in the country had been closed in the last decade to make way for new developments.
Potential legal battle over sugar tax
Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement in last week’s Budget that there will be a tax on the sugar content of fizzy drinks has provoked a backlash from soft drinks manufacturers, with campaigners saying that it is not fair to exclude fruit juices, smoothies and milkshakes from the levy.