2026 No. 478

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) (Amendment) Order 2026

Made28th April 2026

Laid before Parliament1st May 2026

Coming into force2nd June 2026

The Secretary of State makes this Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 43F of the Employment Rights Act 1996¹.

1 Citation, commencement and extent¶

1 This Order may be cited as the Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) (Amendment) Order 2026.

2 This Order comes into force on 2nd June 2026.

3 This Order extends to England and Wales and Scotland.

2 Amendments to the Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) Order 2014¶

In the Schedule to the Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) Order 2014²—

a at the appropriate place insert—

;

b at the appropriate place insert—

;

c for the entry relating to Environment Agency, in the second column substitute for the existing entry—

Acts or omissions which have an actual or potential effect on the natural environment, including those relating to—

(a) pollution control, regulating industry and waste, radioactive substances and treatment of contaminated land;

(b) water quality and resources, including abstraction of water and flooding from rivers, reservoirs, estuaries and the sea;

(d) inland river, estuary and harbour navigations relating to the following locations—

Rye Harbour;
Lydney Harbour;
the Medway navigation within the meaning of section 32 of the Southern Water Authority Act 1982⁸;
Anglian recreational waterways for which the Environment Agency is the navigation authority under the Anglian Water Authority Act 1977⁹;
the Thames within the meaning of section 4 of the Thames Conservancy Act 1932¹⁰; and
the principal rivers, upper rivers and the tributaries of the River Wye Catchment in relation to which the Environment Agency has functions under and by virtue of the Wye Navigation Order 2002¹¹.

;

d in the entry relating to the Financial Conduct Authority, in the second column after sub-paragraph (u), omit the “and”, and insert—

;

e at the appropriate place insert—

;

f omit the entry relating to the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland;

g at the appropriate place insert—

The Law Society, including any duly constituted committee of the Law Society and any body or person exercising delegated powers of the Law Society, including the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Matters relating to the regulation of the following persons and bodies by the Law Society—

(a) authorised persons within the meaning of section 18 of the Legal Services Act 2007¹⁸;

(b) regulated persons within the meaning of section 21 (3) of the Legal Services Act 2007;

(d) recognised bodies within the meaning of section 9 (8) of the Administration of Justice Act 1985¹⁹;

(e) sole solicitors within the meaning of section 87 (1) of the Solicitors Act 1974²⁰;

(f) registered foreign lawyers within the meaning of section 89 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990²¹;

(g) European lawyers registered with the Law Society under the European Communities (Lawyer’s Practice) Regulations 2000²², as they have effect by virtue of regulation 6 of the Services of Lawyers and Lawyer's Practice (Revocation etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020²³; and

(h) Swiss qualified lawyers within the meaning of regulation 3 of the Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Implementation of International Recognition Agreements (Amendment) Regulations 2023²⁴ who are registered with the Law Society.

;

h in the entry relating to the Office of Communications, in the second column—

i omit the “and” after sub-paragraph (f);

ii after sub-paragraph (g), insert—

;

i in the entry relating to the Scottish Social Services Council, in the second column substitute for the existing entry—

;

j in the entry relating to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, in the second column substitute for the existing entry—

;

k at the appropriate place insert—

;

l in the entry relating to the Secretary of State for Transport, in the second column—

i omit the “and” after sub-paragraph (c);

ii after sub-paragraph (d) insert—

;

m at the appropriate place insert—

Explanatory Note¶

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the Schedule to the Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) Order 2014 (the “2014 Order”).

The Employment Rights Act 1996 (the “1996 Act”) provides protection for workers who suffer a detriment or are dismissed as a result of whistleblowing, by making a qualifying disclosure within the meaning of section 43B of the 1996 Act, in accordance with any of sections 43C to 43H of that Act. Section 43F of the 1996 Act provides that a worker will be protected by the 1996 Act if he or she makes a qualifying disclosure to a prescribed person, reasonably believing that the failure disclosed falls within the matters in respect of which that person is prescribed and that the information disclosed, and any allegation contained in it, are substantially true. The Schedule to the 2014 Order lists the prescribed persons and the matters in respect of which they are prescribed for the purposes of section 43F.

This Order amends the Schedule to the 2014 Order to include the Building Safety Regulator, the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority, the Independent Football Regulator, the Law Society, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Security Industry Authority. This Order also removes the Keeper of Registers of Scotland as a prescribed person and amends the description of matters for certain existing prescribed persons.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no significant impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.

Footnotes

1
1996 c. 18. Section 43F was inserted by section 1 of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (c. 23). Section 43F(1)(a) was amended by section 18(1)(c) of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (c. 24).
2
S.I. 2014/2418; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2014/3294, 2023/424, 2023/1254, 2024/705, 2024/1198 and 2025/604.
3
The Building Safety Regulator was established by regulation 3 of the Building Safety Regulator (Establishment of New Body and Transfer of Functions etc.) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/20).
4
1984 c. 55.
5
2022 c. 30.
6
The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (registered under the company name: The Creative Industries ISA, Company No.14615723).
7
The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) Standards dated February 2025 can be accessed at https://ciisa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CIISA-Standards-Framework-2025.pdf. A physical copy can be inspected upon request at the Department for Business and Trade, Old Admiralty Building, Admiralty Place, London, SW1A 2DY.
8
1982 c. xxii.Section 32 was amended by section 39 of the Southern Water Authority Act 1988 (c. xxxiii) and paragraph 2 of Schedule 5 to the Environment Agency (Inland Waterways) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/699).
9
1977 c. i. Schedule 1 was amended by article 28 of and Schedule 1 to the Environment Agency (Inland Waterways) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/699). There are other amendments not relevant to this Order.
10
1932 c. xxxvii. Section 4 was amended by section 3 of the Thames Conservancy Act 1950 (c. i).
11
S.I. 2002/1998 to which there are amendments not relevant to this Order.
12
The Handbook made by the Financial Conduct Authority is available on www.handbook.fca.org.uk and copies of the Glossary referred to can be obtained from the Financial Conduct Authority, 12 Endeavour Square, London, E20 1JN, where they are also available for inspection.
13
2000 c. 8.
14
S.I. 2017/692, amended by S.I. 2026/102; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant.
15
S.I. 2024/105, amended by S.I. 2025/1076.
16
The Independent Football Regulator was established by section 5 of the Football Governance Act 2025 (c. 21).
17
2025 c. 21.
18
2007 c. 29.
19
1985 c. 61. Section 9(8) was amended by paragraph 81(10) (e) of Schedule 16 and Schedule 23 to the Legal Services Act 2007 (c. 29). There are other amendments not relevant to this Order.
20
1974 c. 47. Section 87(1) was amended by paragraph 14 (a) of Schedule 1 to the Legal Services Act 2007 (The Law Society) (Modification of Functions) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/401). There are other amendments not relevant to this Order.
21
1990 c. 41. Section 89 was amended by paragraphs 124 and 125 of Schedule 16 to the Legal Services Act 2007 and Schedule 2 to the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/1887).
22
S.I. 2000/1119, amended by S.I. 2020/1342; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant.
23
S.I. 2020/1342.
24
S.I. 2023/1286, amended by S.I. 2024/1379; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant.
25
2001 asp 8.
26
S.I. 2018/506; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2018/629, 2019/653, 2020/1245 and 2023/424.
27
The Security Industry Authority was established by section 1 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (c. 12).
28
2001 c. 12.