Whitehall Yesterday

The government has announced automatic overnight curfews and restrictions on addictive features for 16- and 17-year-olds using social media platforms, following its forthcoming ban on under-16s access. From midnight to 6am, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will require default curfews to be switched on, while algorithmic feeds and autoplay video features will be automatically disabled for older teenagers. These measures aim to eliminate the "cliff edge" of protections as young people transition from the blanket under-16 ban into their later teens, ensuring that reaching the age threshold does not suddenly expose them to the most addictive design patterns. The department is also examining mandatory breaks for under-18s on AI services and restrictions preventing chatbots from offering mental health advice.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has confirmed it will proceed with measures to increase transparency around service charge costs and rebalance legal protections under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. Leaseholders will receive clearer information about what they are being charged for and gain stronger powers to challenge unfair costs when things go wrong, while the government will make it cheaper and easier for them to extend leases or buy freeholds. These reforms represent the next step in dismantling what ministers describe as the feudal leasehold system, though implementation details remain to be finalised.

The Ministry of Justice has launched a consultation on the most significant reform to weddings law since the 1830s, proposing to shift focus from "bricks and mortar to people and promises." Under the proposals, couples could legally marry almost anywhere—forests, beaches, castles, canal boats, even cruise ships—rather than being confined to approved venues, while the government aims to reduce the cost of getting married below the current average of more than £20,000. The consultation also promises to strengthen safeguards protecting the meaning of marriage, though the balance between expanded choice and institutional protections remains to be worked through.

The Competition and Markets Authority has identified a regulatory gap affecting 1.5 million UK households dependent on heating oil, which lack the consumer protections afforded to electricity and gas customers. The CMA's market study, triggered by Middle East conflict-driven price volatility that saw retail prices spike 92 per cent at their peak, recommends establishing a proportionate regulatory regime covering price quotations, cancellations, and support for vulnerable consumers. The authority is also taking enforcement action to protect around 1,700 households whose orders were allegedly cancelled in breach of contract, potentially costing them up to £350 each, though it found that suppliers have not profited materially from the recent crisis.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has updated safety warnings across all botulinum toxin type A products—used in both medical treatments and cosmetic procedures—following reports of rare cases of botulism where the toxin's effects spread beyond the injection site. Patients are now advised to seek immediate medical attention if they experience symptoms including difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, breathing difficulties, or muscle weakness, which can occur within days or up to four weeks after treatment. While the regulator emphasizes that these serious side effects remain very rare when products are used correctly, the strengthened warnings reflect a proportionate response to genuine safety concerns.

The Ministry of Defence announced that Sheffield Forgemasters has begun delivering the first of 150 British-made artillery barrels to Ukraine under a £61 million contract awarded to BAE Systems. The 105mm and 155mm gun barrels represent the first forged artillery barrels produced in the UK for nearly two decades, supporting hundreds of jobs at the government-owned manufacturer and more than 60 businesses across the UK supply chain. The contract underscores both the government's commitment to Ukraine's defence and its broader investment in domestic defence manufacturing capacity.

Three substantive consultations opened this week. The Department for Business and Trade is seeking views on employment protections for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children, building on the Carer's Leave Act 2023 and Employment Rights Act 2025, alongside independent research commissioned from Verian exploring how carers balance work and responsibilities. The Ministry of Justice is consulting on reforms to the criminal legal aid Advocates' Graduated Fee Scheme, which reimburses advocates for Crown Court work. HM Treasury is consulting on updating the Bank of England's fee regime for recognised payment systems to include digital settlement asset service providers. These parallel consultations suggest government activity on multiple domestic policy fronts, though responses will determine which proposals advance to implementation.