The Regulations amend the Local Government Pension Scheme and the previous arrangements under the Local Government Pension Scheme 1997. The amendments are made under the programme to modernise the Local Government Pension Scheme. The Regulations can be viewed on the UK legislation website.

The Regulations increase the permitted weekly work earnings limit from £93 to £95. This is the amount that can be earned without a person being regarded as capable of work for the purpose of employment and support allowance, incapacity benefit and other benefits. The Regulations can be viewed on the UK legislation website.

The Order makes changes to legislation pursuant to the registration system introduced by part 1 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. The Order can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The Equality Act 2010 consolidates existing equality law into a single piece of legislation and introduces a number of reforms. It defines direct discrimination as less favourable treatment because of a protected characteristic. This widens the scope for associative discrimination. In certain cases, the Act allows claimants to bring a claim for discrimination based on a combination of two protected characteristics. The Act prohibits employers from asking questions about health before offering a candidate a post. It also includes a provision to make regulations requiring employers with at least 250 employees to publish information relating to the differences in pay between men and women. Read the legislation on the UK legislation website:

• The Equality Act 2010.
• The Equality Act 2010 (Disability) Regulations 2010 supplement the definition of disability in the Equality Act 2010.
• The Equality Act 2010 (Sex Equality Rule) (Exceptions) Regulations 2010 cover exceptions to rules on sex discrimination in occupational pension schemes.
• The Equality Act (Age Exceptions for Pension Schemes) Order 2010 cover exceptions to rules on sex discrimination in occupational pension schemes.
• The Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No.1) Order 2010 brings into force sections of the Equality Act 2010 that enable subordinate legislation or guidance to be made to support the Act.
• The draft Equality Act 2010 (Consequential Amendments, Saving and Supplementary Provisions) Order 2010 makes minor amendments to the Equality Act 2010 and other primary legislation.
• The Equality Act 2010 (Offshore Work) Order 2010 confirms that part 5 of the Equality Act 2010 applies to offshore work.
• The Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No.2) Order 2010 supplements the first commencement order.

The Regulations amend rules regarding upfront fees for the entertainment industry. They prohibit employment agencies from taking upfront fees from photographic and fashion models. They extend the cooling off-period for upfront fees for certain occupations. They remove a number of administrative steps that employment agencies are required to take, including: carrying out identity checks for job-seekers (other than those who will be working with vulnerable people); obtaining agreement to terms when they introduce job-seekers for permanent employment (except when they charge a fee for a work-finding service); and agreeing terms with the permanent employer. Advertisements for jobs no longer need to include a statement as to whether or not the organisation is acting as an employment agency or employment business but they must state whether a position is temporary or permanent. The Regulations can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The main rate of the national minimum wage rises from £5.80 per hour to £5.93 per hour and the development rate from £4.83 per hour to £4.92 per hour. The rate for workers aged 16 to 17 years increases from £3.57 to £3.64 per hour. The main rate will apply to 21-year-old workers. An apprentice rate of £2.50 per hour will apply to apprentices who are under 19 or those who are aged 19 and over but in the first year of their apprenticeship. The per day value of the accommodation offset increases from £4.51 to £4.61. The Regulations can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The Regulations make transitional provision in respect of persons who qualify for conversion from incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance or income support on grounds of disability to employment and support allowance. An award may be converted only if certain conditions are satisfied in relation to the person entitled to the award. The Regulations can be viewed on the OPSI website.

Legislation is introduced to bring reservists in the territorial army out of scope of EU drivers' hours rules. This enables professional drivers to take part in military training without being in breach of the rules relating to weekly rest requirements.

The Regulations prescribe that contributory benefit rights for a period during which a person is in active employment with the EU may not be transferred to the EU pension scheme. This does not apply to periods of secondment or personal leave. The Regulations can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The Regulations prescribe that people who are in receipt of certain benefits will be awarded a state pension automatically, without having to make a claim. The Regulations can be viewed on the OPSI website.

Section 43 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 prescribes that all those on the Disqualified for Working with Children List (DWCL) be transferred to the children’s list kept under s.1 of the Act. The Order makes saving, transitional and incidental provision relating to the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 that established the DWCL. The Order comes into force on the same day as para.42 of sch.4 to the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The Order can be viewed on the OPSI website.

Employers, employment agencies and employment businesses making a referral to the Scottish ministers in relation to an individual who is or has been doing regulated work with children or adults must provide in that referral the information set out in the Regulations. The Regulations come into force on the same day as s.1 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The Regulations can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The Regulations allow access to disclosure records to assess the suitability of individuals for inclusion on health service lists prepared by virtue of s.17P, or for the purposes of part II, of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978. The Order comes into force on the same day as s.44 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The Regulations can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The Regulations prescribe that where an individual is doing regulated work that involves transporting children or protected adults to an educational institution or public or private hospital under an agreement with a relevant body, for example an educational establishment, the relevant body can seek sight of the individual's disclosure record. The Regulations come into force on the same day as s.44 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The Regulations can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The Order expands the meaning of "suitability information" relating to children and protected adults that must, in certain circumstances, be included in an enhanced criminal record certificate. The Order comes into force on the same day as s.78 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The Order can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The Government will introduce an annual limit on the number of non-EU economic migrants admitted into the UK to live and work. The Coalition: our programme for government (PDF format, 475K) (on the Cabinet Office website) sets outs the Government's five-year plan.

The Government will extend the right to request flexible working to all employees. Currently, the right applies to those who have one or more children under the age of 17 (18 if a child is disabled) or who are carers. The Coalition: our programme for government (PDF format, 475K) (on the Cabinet Office website) sets outs the Government's five-year plan.

The Regulations make arrangements for the introduction of responsible officers under the Medical Act 1983. The officers will be appointed by healthcare organisations and will have responsibility relating to the evaluation of the fitness to practise of doctors who work in the organisation. The draft Regulations can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The Agricultural Wages Board, an independent body that determines the minimum wage for workers employed in agriculture in England and Wales and has discretionary powers to regulate other terms and conditions of employment, is abolished. Agricultural workers are brought within the scope of the national minimum wage. The announcement can be viewed on the Defra website.

The Order amends the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 in relation to regulated work in an establishment, activities constituting regulated work and regulated work by virtue of the position of charity trustee. The Order comes into force on the same day as s.91 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland Act 2007). The Order can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The Regulations list certain services, receipt of which will confer protected adult status on an individual for the purposes of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The Regulations come into force on the same day as s.44 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The Regulations can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The Order amends the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 in relation to regulated work in an establishment listed in part 3 of the Act, host parenting and the position of charity trustee. The Order comes into force on the same day as s.91 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The Order can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The Order modifies sch.1 to the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 to amend the circumstances in which an individual is to be treated for the purposes of part 1 of the Act as having committed a relevant offence. The Order comes into force on the same day as s.1 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The Order can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The Order specifies the criteria that will lead to automatic listing of an individual in the list of people barred from working with children or in the list of people barred from working with vulnerable adults. The Order comes into force on the same day as s.1 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The Order can be viewed on the OPSI website.

The Regulations set out the fees for joining the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme in relation to regulated work with children or adults and for disclosure requests made under ss.52 to 54 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The Regulations also list the circumstances in which the fees can be waived. The Regulations come into force on the same day as s.44 of the Act. The Regulations can be viewed on the OPSI website.