The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999

Interpretation N.I.

2.—(1) The [1954 c. 33 (N.I.).] Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to Article 1 and the following provisions of this Order as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

(2) In this Order—

• “department” means a Northern Ireland department;

• “Minister”, in relation to a department, means—

  (a)

  in the case of the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, the First Minister and the deputy First Minister acting jointly;

  (b)

  in the case of any other department, the Minister in charge of that department;

• “statutory provision” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(f) of the [1954 c. 33 (N.I.).] Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954.

(3) References in this Order to a senior officer of a department are references to a person who is employed in that department and is—

(a) a member of the Northern Ireland senior civil service; or

(b) a member of the Northern Ireland civil service designated by the department as a senior officer for the purposes of this Order.

(4) If, and to the extent that, a determination under section 19 of the [1998 c. 47.] Northern Ireland Act 1998 so provides, the functions exercisable under this Order by a senior officer of a department shall also be exercisable by a junior Minister; but nothing in this Order authorises ajunior Minister to exercise functions otherwise than in accordance with the terms of such a determination.