Acts of Parliament
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Laws of the Land

Bills that have received Royal Assent. The Acts that govern the country, ordered by most recent.

695 Acts on the statute book

541-560 of 695 · page 28 of 35

Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012

[As Introduced]
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This Act sets fair rules for when people buy consumer insurance. It says insurance companies can only reject a claim or charge more if a customer deliberately lied or was careless, not just for honestly forgetting or not knowing something wasn't important to mention.

53% Aye · 47% No · 222 votesParliament: 68-15

Welfare Reform Act 2012

[As Introduced]
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This Act made major changes to the UK welfare (benefits) system. It combined different benefits into one called Universal Credit, changed eligibility rules, introduced caps on how much families could receive, and made it easier for the government to check claims. The Act aimed to encourage work but was controversial because many people felt it made life h…

55% Aye · 45% No · 188 votes

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

[As Introduced]
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This Act requires the government and public organizations to think about the wider social benefits when buying services or awarding contracts, not just cost and quality. For example, they should consider whether a company creates jobs, trains young people, or helps the local community, so taxpayers' money does more good overall.

55% Aye · 45% No · 221 votes

Live Music Act 2012

[As Introduced]
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The Live Music Act 2012 simplifies the rules around hosting live music in smaller venues. It removes some licensing requirements and fees for smallscale performances (like acoustic sets in pubs), making it cheaper and easier for communities to enjoy live music without dealing with lots of government paperwork.

54% Aye · 46% No · 191 votes

Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2012

[As Introduced]
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This Act is a technical law that gives the government permission to adjust and anticipate its spending during 2012. In simple terms, it allows the government to move money between different areas of public spending and access funds early if needed, rather than being locked into a fixed budget plan.

56% Aye · 44% No · 218 votes

Loans to Ireland Act 2010

[As Introduced]
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This Act allows the UK government to lend billions of pounds to Ireland during its 2010 financial crisis, when Irish banks and the economy were failing. The law gives the government the power to provide financial help to prevent Ireland's complete economic breakdown.

55% Aye · 45% No · 201 votes

Sovereign Grant Act 2011

[As Introduced]
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This Act replaced the old 'Civil List' system by creating the 'Sovereign Grant', a set amount of public money given to the Crown each year to pay for royal palaces, staff, and official duties. The funding is based on the Crown Estate's profits, so the amount can go up or down depending on royal property earnings.

54% Aye · 46% No · 200 votes

Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Grant Act 2010

[As Introduced]
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This Act created a scheme where the government gives a oneoff payment of money to pregnant women to open a savings account for their baby. The savings can be used later to help with the child's education, housing, or other needs when they turn 18.

54% Aye · 46% No · 206 votes

Public Bodies Act 2011

[As Introduced]
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The Public Bodies Act 2011 allows the UK government to change, merge, or abolish around 900 public organizations and agencies (like regulators and advisory bodies). It was designed to reduce the number of these bodies, cut costs, and simplify how public services are organized.

52% Aye · 48% No · 206 votes

Charities Act 2011

[As Introduced]
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This Act sets out the rules for how charities in the UK must be run and controlled. It explains what charities are allowed to do, how they should be registered, and how they must account for the money people donate to them.

54% Aye · 46% No · 173 votes

Armed Forces Act 2011

[As Introduced]
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The Armed Forces Act 2011 updates the laws that govern how the British military works, including discipline, court martial procedures, and how service members are treated. It sets out the rules the military must follow and the rights of people in the armed forces.

54% Aye · 46% No · 236 votesParliament: 80-298

Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011

[As Introduced]
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This Act allows the government to impose restrictions on people suspected of involvement in terrorism (like travel bans, electronic monitoring, or reporting requirements) without needing a criminal conviction. These restrictions, called Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPIMs), are meant to reduce security risks, but they limit people's fre…

53% Aye · 47% No · 219 votes

Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011

[As Introduced]
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This Act changed UK law so that Parliament automatically dissolves and general elections must be held every five years on a fixed date, rather than allowing the Prime Minister to choose when to call an election. The Prime Minister can no longer surprise opponents with a snap election.

54% Aye · 46% No · 206 votes

Education Act 2011

[As Introduced]
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The Education Act 2011 gives schools in England greater freedom and control over how they operate, including their budgets and curriculum. It encourages the creation of new types of schools (like academies and free schools) and aims to increase parental choice and school performance, while reducing government control over education.

54% Aye · 46% No · 222 votesParliament: 280-152

Localism Act 2011

[As Introduced]
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The Localism Act 2011 transfers more power from central government to local councils and communities. It lets neighbourhoods have a say in local planning through referendums, allows councils more freedom to make their own decisions, and gives residents more ways to influence what happens in their area.

54% Aye · 46% No · 168 votes

Postal Services Act 2011

[As Introduced]
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This Act reformed how the UK's postal service works. It gave Royal Mail more freedom to operate like a business, allowed other companies to compete in the postal market, and changed regulation, but it required a universal postal service to remain available to everyone at an affordable price.

54% Aye · 46% No · 188 votes

Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011

[As Introduced]
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This Act changed how police forces in England and Wales are run and held accountable. It created elected Police and Crime Commissioners to oversee local police, replaced some government oversight with community input, and gave police forces more freedom to decide how they tackle crime in their areas.

53% Aye · 47% No · 199 votes

Pensions Act 2011

[As Introduced]
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The Pensions Act 2011 reforms the UK pension system by gradually raising the age at which people can claim their state pension (from 65 towards 68), and introducing automatic enrolment so more workers are automatically signed up to workplace pensions. It aims to make pensions more affordable longterm as people live longer.

53% Aye · 47% No · 194 votes

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011

[As Introduced]
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This Act proposed changing how UK elections work and redrawing the map of parliamentary constituencies (local areas represented by MPs). It included plans for a new voting system and reducing the total number of MPs, though not all proposals were fully implemented.

54% Aye · 46% No · 203 votes

Local Government Act 2010

[As Introduced]
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The Local Government Act 2010 made important changes to how English local councils operate, including introducing elected mayors in some areas and giving communities more power through local referendums. It was designed to modernise local government and make councils more directly answerable to the people they serve.

56% Aye · 44% No · 167 votes