A number of an item of legislation that is in a different numbering series from its main one. Only Statutory Instruments have alternative series numbers.
The following alternative numbering series are in use:
A document that is published separately alongside an item of legislation. Common associated documents include:
The date to which the originating text of SLD had been revised and from which revision work has been carried forward on legislation.gov.uk. For most types of legislation on legislation.gov.uk that were first revised before 7th March 2019, the basedate is 1st February 1991. (From 7th March 2019, newly revised legislation is revised from the first date it came wholly or partially into force.)
The originating text of SLD was derived mainly from Statutes in Force (SIF), an earlier official edition of the revised statute book. The final revision of SIF incorporated all effects made by legislation enacted up to 1st February 1991, but the effects of a small number of consolidation Acts enacted after the basedate, in 1991 and 1992, were also incorporated.
For the revised legislation of Northern Ireland there is a separate basedate of 1st January 2006. The originating text for this legislation is “The Northern Ireland Statutes Revised”, the official edition of the revised statute book for Northern Ireland. The text is now incorporated into SLD revised with the effects of legislation made up to 31st December 2005.
The date on which a legislative provision or an effect comes into force. Also known as the commencement date.
The coming into force of a provision or an effect.
The commencement of a piece of legislation may be determined by a provision of the legislation itself, referred to as the “commencement provision”, or it may be determined by a special type of Statutory Instrument known as a “Commencement Order”.
This term is used where a provision confers power to make secondary legislation.
Two or more versions of a provision (or other level of division of legislation) resulting from a substitution of text (or of the whole provision etc.) affecting only part of the original geographical extent of the provision. Such versions are concurrent in that they have the same start date and continue to run alongside one another.
For instance, if there is a substitution of text in a provision that extends to the whole of the UK, but the substitution affects Wales only, two concurrent versions result: one for the provision in its unamended state to cover England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and one for the provision as amended to cover Wales.
A document that contains corrections to typographical errors in an item of legislation. On legislation.gov.uk, the Publishing team apply corrections to both the original (enacted/made) and revised versions of legislation, although sometimes with a delay.
Any impact that one legislative provision may have on another. The most familiar type of effect is an amendment that changes the text of the affected legislation, but there are also types of effect that do not change the text, such as where a provision is said to be modified or applied. Other events, such as the commencement of a provision, are also treated as effects for SLD purposes.
Note that a piece of legislation, such as an Act, may contain internal effects. For example, a provision in an Act may modify or apply some other provision in the same Act. These internal effects are not generally annotated on SLD. The main exception is where an Act amends its own text, which may happen, for example, when an Act repeals itself, or part of itself, at some future date. Also, certain internal effects to do with commencement and extent may be recorded.
The date on which a version is succeeded by a new version or otherwise ceases to have effect.
The geographical area within the UK to which legislation applies.
Each extent is represented by one of, or a combination of, England (E), Wales (W), Scotland (S) and Northern Ireland (NI). Thus, a UK extent is E+W+S+NI and a GB extent is E+W+S.
Every version of every provision, and every higher level of division, within a piece of legislation is assigned its own extent attribute.
The date on which a Statutory Instrument, or other item of secondary legislation, is formally brought into being. It may come into force at a different date. Secondary legislation is usually said to be “made”, as opposed to Acts and other primary legislation which are usually said to be “enacted”. For this reason, the phrase “made or enacted” may be used in Help when referring to legislation generally.
An effect when the meaning, scope or application of an item or provision of legislation is changed in some way, but without there being any authority in the amending provision to alter the text of the amended provision. Typical expressions of effects of this kind are ‘modified’, ‘applied’, ‘excluded’, ‘extended’, ‘restricted’, and so on.
General term used to describe the main laws passed by the legislative bodies of the UK. It is to be distinguished from secondary legislation.
A term we use to indicate that a provision or an amendment has not yet come into force.
A version of a provision (or other level of division of legislation) with no start date, created as a result of an amendment that has not yet come into force.
We use the terms “revise”, “revised” and “revision” to refer to the editorial process of incorporating amendments and carrying through other effects into legislation.
A provision of legislation that qualifies the effect of other provisions of the item of legislation within which it is contained.
Delegated legislation made by a person or body under authority contained in primary legislation. It is also referred to as “subordinate legislation”
A provision, usually numbered, constituting on SLD the lowest level of division in the main body of an Act or other primary legislation.
A successive version of a provision (or higher level of division of legislation) is a new version that replaces an earlier version. A new version is created whenever the text is amended.
A printed compilation of revised UK Public General Acts, available as a set of loose-leaf binders, and updated regularly up to 1st February 1991.
A provision (or higher level of division of legislation) may exist in any number of different versions, usually created as a result of amendments made to it.