The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Transfer of Staff to the Civil Nuclear Police Authority) Regulations 2025
These regulations govern the transfer of specified Ministry of Defence Police employees to the Civil Nuclear Police Authority on April 1, 2025.
The regulations ensure employment protection, mirroring provisions in the 2006 Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE), covering contracts, rights, and liabilities.
They also address the transition of Ministry of Defence Police members into the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and incorporate modifications regarding pension schemes.
Arguments For
- Intended benefits: Ensures the smooth transition of staff and maintains continuity of service in the transfer of policing responsibilities.
- Evidence cited: The regulations draw upon and reference the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE Regulations) to provide a legal framework for employment protection.
- Implementation methods: The regulations clearly define the transfer date, affected personnel, and the process for transferring employment contracts and responsibilities.
- Legal/historical basis: The regulations are made under the powers conferred by section 38 of the Employment Relations Act 1999, providing legal authority for the transfer and protections.
Arguments Against
- Potential impacts: Potential for disruption during transition despite protections; concerns about differing terms and conditions between the two organizations.
- Implementation challenges: Ensuring all affected staff are correctly informed and that the transfer process is accurately implemented to avoid errors or disputes.
- Alternative approaches: Negotiating individual contracts rather than using the TUPE Regulations-based framework.
- Unintended effects: May unintentionally create inconsistencies in employment terms between those transferred and staff already within the Civil Nuclear Police Authority.
Citation, commencement, extent and interpretation
- These Regulations may be cited as the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Transfer of Staff to the Civil Nuclear Police Authority) Regulations 2025 and come into force on 17th March 2025.
- These Regulations extend to England and Wales and Scotland.
- In these Regulations- 'gas facility' means a facility used for the purposes of, or for purposes connected with, the transportation of gas from a gas shipper to a gas transporter or gas supplier;
- 'gas shipper' means the holder of a licence under section 7A of the Gas Act 1986;
- 'gas supplier' means the holder of a licence under section 7A of the Gas Act 1986;
- 'gas transporter' means the holder of a licence under section 7 of the Gas Act 1986; 'the transfer date' means 1st April 2025;
- 'the transferee' means the Civil Nuclear Police Authority;
- 'the transferor' means the Ministry of Defence; 'the TUPE Regulations' means the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006.
These regulations are officially titled the 'Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Transfer of Staff to the Civil Nuclear Police Authority) Regulations 2025' and become effective March 17th, 2025.
They apply to England, Wales, and Scotland.
Key terms are defined, including "gas facility," "gas shipper," "gas supplier," "gas transporter," "transfer date" (April 1st, 2025), "transferee" (Civil Nuclear Police Authority), "transferor" (Ministry of Defence), and referencing the 2006 Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE).
Application of Regulations 9. 2. These Regulations apply to any person who- 10. (a) immediately before the transfer date is employed by the transferor for the principal purpose of carrying out activities connected to a policing service provided by the Ministry of Defence Police at or in relation to a gas facility, and 11. (b) has been notified by the transferor before the transfer date that they are to transfer to the employment of the transferee, and 12. (c) has not after receiving the notification in paragraph (b) and before the transfer date- 13. (i) informed the transferor that they object to becoming employed by the transferee, or 14. (ii) been notified by the transferor that they are no longer to transfer to the employment of the transferee.
The regulations apply to individuals employed by the Ministry of Defence primarily for policing services at gas facilities.
These individuals must have received prior notice of their transfer to the Civil Nuclear Police Authority and not subsequently objected to the transfer before the transfer date.
Transfer of employment 15. Any person to whom these Regulations apply is on the transfer date transferred to the employment of the transferee. 16. The contract of employment of a person whose employment has transferred to the transferee under paragraph - 17. (a) is not terminated by the transfer, and 18. (b) has effect from the transfer date as if originally made between that person and the transferee. 19. All the rights, powers, duties and liabilities of the transferor under, or in connection with, the contract of employment of any person whose employment transfers to the transferee under paragraph are transferred to the transferee on the transfer date. 20. Any act or omission before the transfer date of, or in relation to, the transferor in respect of that person's contract of employment is on and after the transfer date deemed to have been an act or omission of, or in relation to, the transferee. 21. Paragraphs and do not transfer, or otherwise affect, the liability of any person to be prosecuted for, convicted of or sentenced for any offence. 22. Paragraph applies to a person- 23. (a) to whom these Regulations apply, and 24. (b) who is immediately before the transfer date a member of the Ministry of Defence Police. 25. Any person to whom this paragraph applies is to hold office on and after the transfer date as a member of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary as if they had- 26. (a) been appointed by the transferee in accordance with section 55 of the Energy Act 2004, and 27. (b) on appointment made the declaration required by section 55 and of that Act.
On the transfer date, affected employees become employed by the Civil Nuclear Police Authority.
Their existing contracts continue, effective as if originally made with the new employer.
All associated rights, duties, and liabilities transfer.
Prior actions related to the employment contract are considered actions of the new employer.
This does not affect criminal liability.
For Ministry of Defence Police members, the transfer makes them members of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, as if directly appointed under the Energy Act 2004.
- Where the transfer involves or would involve a substantial change in working conditions to the material detriment of the person whose employment is or would have transferred under paragraph
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- (a) that person may treat the contract of employment as having been terminated, and
- (b) that person is to be treated for any purpose as having been dismissed by their employer.
- No damages are to be payable by the transferor or the transferee as a result of a dismissal falling within paragraph , in respect of any failure by the transferor or the transferee to pay wages to a person in respect of a notice period which the person has failed to work.
- This regulation does not affect any right of a person arising other than under this regulation to terminate that person's contract of employment without notice in acceptance of a repudiatory breach of contract by that person's employer.
If the transfer results in significantly detrimental changes to working conditions, the employee may consider their contract terminated and be treated as dismissed.
However, no damages are payable for unpaid wages during a notice period if the employee did not work that period.
This does not affect the employee's right to terminate the contract without notice due to a serious breach by the employer.
Pensions 34. 4. A person whose contract of employment is transferred by regulation 3 is to be treated as if regulation 10 of the TUPE Regulations (pensions) applied in relation to that transfer, with the modifications that- 35. (a) in regulation 10 of the TUPE Regulations, for the reference to regulations 4 and 5 of those Regulations there were substituted a reference to regulation 3 of these Regulations, and 36. (b) in regulation 10 of the TUPE Regulations, for the reference to an employee whose contract of employment is transferred in the circumstances described in regulation 4 of those Regulations there were substituted a reference to an employee whose employment is transferred under regulation 3 of these Regulations.
Pension provisions are handled similarly to those in regulation 10 of the TUPE Regulations, adjusted to reflect this specific transfer; references to regulations 4 and 5 of the TUPE Regulations are replaced with references to regulation 3 of these regulations.