UK Act of Parliament 2013 United Kingdom

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013

What this means for your business

6 obligations
5 penalties
3 can imprison
1 guides
Applies to
United Kingdom
On this page
6 compliance obligations, 1 practical guide
Read full text on legislation.gov.uk

What you must do

6 compliance obligations under this legislation — 3 can result in imprisonment.

Payments and fees 1

Get shareholder approval for director payments not covered by policy

If your company is listed on a stock exchange, you can only pay directors (including salaries, bonuses or other benefits) if the payment follows the latest directors’ remuneration policy that shareholders have approved. If a payment falls outside that policy you must put the matter to a vote of the shareholders, give them at least 15 days’ notice with full details of the payment, and publish the information on your website.

Any Person s.80 CMA When a quoted (publicly listed) company makes a remuneration or loss‑of‑office payment …

Offences and prohibitions 5

Fail to obtain planning permission for demolition in a conservation area

2 years imprisonment

If you carry out demolition of a building that lies in a conservation area in England without first getting the required planning permission, or you breach any condition attached to that permission, you commit a criminal offence. On conviction you can be fined (unlimited amount) and face up to 12 months in prison if tried in a magistrates' court, or up to 2 years in prison if the case goes to the Crown Court.

Any Person Schedule 17 CMA

Falsify information to obtain a listed building lawfulness certificate

2 years imprisonment

If you deliberately give a false or misleading statement, use a fake document, or hide important information when applying for a certificate of lawfulness for works on a listed building, you commit a criminal offence. Conviction can lead to an unlimited fine and, on indictment, up to two years’ imprisonment (or both). The offence can be tried either in a magistrates’ court or the Crown Court.

Any Person s.61 CMA

Intentionally alter, suppress or destroy a CMA notice document

2 years imprisonment

If you deliberately change, hide or destroy a document that the Competition and Markets Authority has legally required you to provide under a section 174 notice, you commit a criminal offence. On conviction you can be fined (up to the statutory maximum) and, if tried on indictment, you may also be sentenced to up to two years’ imprisonment.

Any Person Schedule 11 CMA

Make false statements or omit information in a bankruptcy application

If you knowingly or recklessly give false information, leave out required information, or fail to tell the adjudicator about a change when making a bankruptcy application, you commit an offence. A conviction can result in a fine (potentially unlimited) and/or imprisonment, even if the bankruptcy order is not ultimately made.

Any Person Schedule 18 CMA

Unauthorised disclosure of ACAS information

Unlimited fine

If you share information held by ACAS about a worker, an employer or a trade union, and the disclosure is not covered by one of the permitted exceptions, you commit a criminal offence. The offence is tried in the magistrates’ court and can result in an unlimited fine. No jail term is provided for this breach.

Any Person s.10 CMA

Penalties for non-compliance

5 penalties under this legislation. 3 can result in imprisonment. 4 carry an unlimited fine.

Prison risk

Fail to obtain planning permission for demolition in a conservation area

Unlimited fine and/or 2 years imprisonment

Either way Schedule 17 Penalises: Fail to obtain planning permission for demolition in …
Prison risk

Falsify information to obtain a listed building lawfulness certificate

Unlimited fine and/or 2 years imprisonment

Either way s.61 Penalises: Falsify information to obtain a listed building lawfulness …
Prison risk

Intentionally alter, suppress or destroy a CMA notice document

Unlimited fine and/or 2 years imprisonment

Either way Schedule 11 Penalises: Intentionally alter, suppress or destroy a CMA notice …
Unlimited fine

Unauthorised disclosure of ACAS information

Unlimited fine

Summary only s.10 Penalises: Unauthorised disclosure of ACAS information
Fine

Make false statements or omit information in a bankruptcy application

Penalty applies

Schedule 18 Penalises: Make false statements or omit information in a …

Practical guidance

Our guides explain how to comply with the requirements above.

Sections and provisions

128 classified provisions from this legislation.

Duties 4

  • s.6A Report on disposal of Crown's shares in UK Green Investment Bank company the Secretary of State
  • s.6 Documents to be laid before Parliament
  • s.80 Restrictions on payments to directors with respect
  • Schedule 4A Functions to which the CMA’s duty of expedition applies

Offences and penalties 5

  • s.10 ACAS: prohibition on disclosure of information
  • Schedule 17 Heritage planning regulation
  • Schedule 18 Adjudicators: bankruptcy applications by debtors and bankruptcy orders
  • s.61 Listed buildings in England: certificates of lawfulness
  • Schedule 11 Markets: investigation powers

Powers 24

  • s.4 Financial assistance
  • s.7 Conciliation before institution of proceedings
  • s.15 Power by order to increase or decrease limit of compensatory award
  • s.27 Transfer schemes
  • s.28 Transitional provision: consultation
  • s.31 Interim measures: financial penalties: mergers
  • s.45 Power for Secretary of State to impose time-limits on investigations etc.
  • s.52 Power to remove concurrent competition functions of sectoral regulators
  • s.60 Listed buildings in England: agreements and orders granting listed building consent
  • s.71 Bankruptcy applications: determination by adjudicators
  • s.83 Redress schemes: lettings agency work
  • s.84 Redress schemes: property management work
  • s.85 Orders under section 83 or 84: enforcement
  • s.87 Approval of redress schemes for the purposes of section 83 or 84
  • s.92 Power to add to supplies protected under Insolvency Act 1986
  • s.93 Corporate insolvency: power to give further protection to essential supplies
  • s.94 Individual insolvency: power to give further protection to essential supplies
  • s.95 Sections 93 and 94: supplemental
  • s.99 Consequential amendments, repeals and revocations
  • s.100 Transitional, transitory or saving provision
  • ... and 4 more powers

Definitions 4

  • s.2 Interpretation UK Green Investment Bank company
  • s.25 The Competition and Markets Authority
  • s.58 Interpretation the 1998 Act the 2002 Act
  • s.86 Sections 83 to 85: minor definitions Local authority

Exemptions 9

  • s.13 Dismissal for political opinions: no qualifying period of employment
  • s.14 Confidentiality of negotiations before termination of employment
  • s.16 Power of employment tribunal to impose financial penalty on employers etc
  • s.42 Part 1 of the 1998 Act: procedural matters
  • s.70 Estate agency work
  • s.75 Penalties under provision amending exceptions: copyright and rights in performances
  • s.78 Penalties under provision implementing Directive on term of protection
  • s.82 Payments to directors: transitional provision
  • s.88 Redress schemes: supplemental