Retained EU Law (Revocation and Repeal) Bill

On 22 September 2022, the government introduced the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill to Parliament. The legislation is intended to ‘put the UK statute book on a more sustainable footing’ post-Brexit, by ending the special status of retained EU law under UK law.

The Bill contains a complex mix of provisions and powers to revoke, amend, replace, restate or ‘assimilate’ retained EU law, with a sunset provision aimed at ensuring the process is completed by a fixed deadline, currently the end of 2023.

The timeframes set out in the Bill coupled with the lack of any requirement for ministers to consult on changes may mean that legislation is made at speed without stakeholder input. Changes brought into effect could impact

TUPE, working time, discrimination law, agency workers, and equal pay. The Bill will need to proceed through all its stages before moving to the House of Lords where it is likely to receive a difficult passage.

With the appointment of Rt Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister, the degree to which the Bill will remain a key plank of the government’s agenda is unclear. However, the current administration has stated an intention to prioritise reforms which have the greatest potential to drive growth.

Of the sectors expected to be prioritised for reform in the next year are:

• digital technology
• life sciences
• green industries
• advanced manufacturing

Latest update

Currently at the report stage in the House of Lords. The date effective is predicted to move from the end of 2023.

The provision for the extension seems likely and current predictions suggest an extension to next Summer (June 2024).