Overview of the Act
- The Act:
- Amends section 1 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018 so as to extend the period provided in the Northern Ireland Act 1998 ("1998 Act") for Northern Ireland Ministers to be appointed until 21 October 2019 following the Assembly election held on 2 March 2017.
- Confers a power on the Secretary of State exercisable by regulations to further extend the period for forming an Executive from 21 October 2019 until 13 January 2020. This may be exercised once only so as to extend the period until 13 January 2020.
- Requires the Secretary of State to publish and lay before Parliament a report, on or before 4 September, on the progress that has been made towards forming an Executive in Northern Ireland (if one has not been formed) and to publish a second report on the progress made towards forming an Executive on or before 9 October 2019, and at least every fourteen calendar days thereafter until 18 December 2019 (or until an Executive is formed).
- The Act also requires that reports be laid before Parliament on a range of other issues relating to Northern Ireland, and obliges the Government to arrange debates on many of those reports in both Houses of Parliament.
- Requires the Secretary of State to make regulations to change the law relating to marriage in Northern Ireland to provide that marriage between same-sex couples is lawful.
- Requires the Secretary of State to make regulations to give effect to the recommendations of the Report of the Inquiry concerning the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland under article 8 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
- Requires the Secretary of State to make regulations to establish a scheme which provides for payments to be made to, or in respect of, a person who has sustained an injury as a result of a Troubles-related incident.
