UK Knowledge Collection | High street rental auctions, business tenancies, and failure to prevent fraud

This year's general election brought a number of the previous government's planned reforms and legislation to an abrupt halt. The new government has decided to introduce the high-street rental auction regime from 2 December: our Insight looks at the potential impact of the changes.

In a development also affecting property owners, the Law Commission has published a consultation on potential reform to the Landlord and Tenant Act provisions on business tenants' right to renewal of their leases on the same terms. The consultation is open until 19 February.

Our November Regulatory Outlook sets out the latest important updates in a number of business compliance areas, including the progress of the Data (Use and Access) Bill, recommendations from privacy regulator, the ICO, on the use of AI tools in recruitment, and the National Cyber Security Centre's guidance for brands on prioritising security in digital advertising. Our Look Back Face Forward event, next week in London, will consider in more detail key developments in advertising regulation and marketing cases, and what to expect in 2025.

Finally, the government has now published guidance on reasonable fraud prevention procedures for the new "failure to prevent fraud" offence, which will come into effect in September next year. Our Insight looks at the six principles outlined in it.

Recent Insights

Failure to prevent fraud: steps to take before September 2025

Businesses have just over nine months to ensure they have reasonable procedures in place to prevent fraud, before the new offence comes into force.
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Regulatory Outlook

Our monthly update covers 19 areas of business compliance in the UK, including consumer law, digital regulation and sanctions.
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Is the MHRA creating the right conditions to encourage UK investment in AI products?

Businesses bringing AI to market need to be aware of public policy and commercial factors driving regulatory reform, with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency setting out its AI strategy and the government looking to the life sciences to help drive UK economic growth.
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COP29 delivers breakthrough Article 6 deal for international carbon markets

The UN climate summit implemented Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on carbon markets offering clear standards and guidelines that pave the way for collaboration and investment in emissions reduction.
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Law Commission consults on reform of security of tenure for business tenancies in England and Wales

The Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 has governed business tenancies for 70 years but substantial change may be on the horizon following the Law Commission's consultation on its potential reform.
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New rental auction regime to begin for empty high-street premises in England

Local authorities will be empowered to let vacant commercial premises in designated high streets or town centres in England at auction from 2 December.
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Navigating UK expansion: immigration podcasts

A series of discussions about visa options, routes and practical considerations available to companies wanting to expand into the UK, and how they can attract suitably skilled and experienced employees to move there.
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Upcoming Events

Look Back Face Forward 2024

3 December | 09:00-13:00

Our annual London forum for marketing law features George Lusty, CMA interim executive director for consumer protection and markets, who will share insights on the regulator's priorities and new enforcement powers, and an expert panel to discuss recent developments in advertising regulation and what to prepare for in 2025.
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Life Sciences Academy | AI in pharma and medtech: case studies

10 December | 16:00-17:00

How AI tools and results are protectable under IP laws, training data and trade secrets, contractual compliance, the technology's potential in pharma and medtech, and more.
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