Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992

172 Assembly, etc. control of regulations and orders

(1) The regulations and orders to which this subsection applies shall be laid before the Assembly after being made and shall take effect on such date as may be specified in the regulations or order, but shall (without prejudice to the validity of anything done thereunder or to the making of new regulations or a new order) cease to have effect upon the expiration of a period of six months from that date unless at some time before the expiration of that period the regulations have, or the order has, been approved by a resolution of the Assembly.

(2) Subsection (1) above applies to—

(a) regulations made by the Department under section 11(3), 18(1), 19(4) to (6), 28(3), 32(2), 59(2), 104(3), 117, 118, 141 or 154(2) or (3) above;

(b) regulations prescribing payments for the purposes of the definition of “payments by way of occupational or personal pension” in section 121(1) above;

(c) an order made by the Department under section 28(2), 57(8), 144(3)(b), 153(2) or 155(1) above.

(3) Subsection (1) above does not apply to—

(a) regulations under section 117 which states that they are made for the purpose of making provision consequential on the making of an order under section 129 of the Administration Act;

(b) regulations under any provision mentioned in subsection (2)(a) above (other than section 154(2) or (3)) which are to be made for the purpose of consolidating regulations thereby revoked;

(c) regulations which, in so far as they are made under any provision mentioned in subsection (2)(a) above (other than section 141 or 154(2) or (3)), only replace provisions of previous regulations with new provisions to the same effect.

(4) Subject to subsection (7) below, all regulations and orders made by the Department under this Act, other than regulations or orders to which subsection (1) above applies, shall be subject to negative resolution.

(5) Section 41(3) of the [1954 c. 33 (N.I.).] Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 (laying statutory instruments or statutory documents before the Assembly) shall apply in relation to any instrument or document which by virtue of any provision of this Act is required to be laid before the Assembly as if it were a statutory instrument or statutory document within the meaning of that Act.

(6) This subsection applies to any regulations or order made under this Act which—

(a) but for subsection (7) below, would be subject to negative resolution, and

(b) are or is contained in a statutory rule which includes any regulations or order subject to the confirmatory procedure.

(7) Any regulations or order to which subsection (6) above applies shall not be subject to negative resolution, but shall be subject to the confirmatory procedure.

(8) During the interim period (as defined by section 1(4) of the [1974 c. 28.] Northern Ireland Act 1974), subsections (1) and (4) above have effect subject to paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 to that Act.

(9) Subject to subsection (10) below, regulations made under this Act by the Secretary of State shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(10) This subsection applies to any regulations made under this Act which—

(a) but for subsection (11) below, would be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament, and

(b) are, or is, contained in an instrument which is subject to any requirement that a draft of the instrument be laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

(11) Any regulations to which subsection (9) above applies shall not be subject as mentioned in paragraph (a) of that subsection, but shall be subject to the procedure described in paragraph (b) of that subsection.

(12) In this section—

• “the Assembly” means the Northern Ireland Assembly;

• “the confirmatory procedure” means the procedure described in subsection (1) above;

• “subject to negative resolution” has the meaning assigned by section 41(6) of the [1954 c. 33 (N.I.).] Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 (but as if the regulations or orders in question were statutory instruments within the meaning of that Act).