Budget Act (Northern Ireland) 2024

Authorisation for the year ending 31 March 2025

Use of resources

7.—(1) For the purposes of section 6(1) of the 2001 Act, this section and section 8 authorise the use of resources in the year ending 31 March 2025.

(2) In that year, the use of resources by the persons mentioned in subsection (3) is authorised up to the amount of £18,731,611,000.

(3) The persons are—

(a) the Northern Ireland departments;

(b) the Food Standards Agency;

(c) the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission;

(d) the Northern Ireland Audit Office;

(e) the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation;

(f) the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman;

(g) the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland.

(4) Of the amount authorised by subsection (2)—

(a) £16,946,596,000 is authorised for use for current purposes, and

(b) £1,785,015,000 is authorised for use for capital purposes.

Limits on use of resources

8.—(1) Schedule 2 contains estimates relating to the persons mentioned in section 7(3) for the year ending 31 March 2025 (“Schedule 2 estimates”).

(2) In the year ending 31 March 2025, a person mentioned in section 7(3) may use resources in accordance with subsections (3) to (7) and the Schedule 2 estimate relating to that person.

(3) The person may use resources specified in column 2 of Part 1 of the estimate for the purposes specified in Part 2 of the estimate; but this is subject to subsections (4) to (7).

(4) Where Part 1 of the estimate authorises the use of net resources for current purposes, the person—

(a) may use resources up to the amount so authorised for current purposes;

(b) must not use those resources for capital purposes.

(5) Where Part 1 of the estimate authorises the use of net resources for capital purposes, the person—

(a) may use resources up to the amount so authorised for capital purposes;

(b) must not use those resources for current purposes.

(6) Where Part 1 of the estimate authorises the use of net resources in relation to a category of expenditure, the person—

(a) may use resources up to the amount so authorised for a purpose identified in the estimate as falling within that category of expenditure;

(b) must not use those resources for any other purpose.

(7) The categories of expenditure are—

(a) expenditure subject to a departmental expenditure limit;

(b) annually managed expenditure;

(c) non-budget expenditure.

Issue of sum out of the Consolidated Fund

9.  The Department may issue out of the Consolidated Fund and apply to the service of the year ending 31 March 2025 the sum of £15,724,763,000.

Use of sum issued out of the Consolidated Fund

10.—(1) The sum that the Department may issue out of the Consolidated Fund under section 9 may be used for the year ending 31 March 2025 in accordance with subsection (2).

(2) The sum specified in Part 1 of a Schedule 2 estimate as a money requirement may be used by the person to whom the estimate relates for the purposes specified in Part 2 of the estimate.

Power to borrow

11.—(1) The Department may borrow on the credit of the sum specified in section 9 any sum or sums not exceeding in total £7,862,382,000.

(2) Any money so borrowed is to be repaid along with any interest due on it out of the Consolidated Fund not later than 31 March 2025.