16.—(1) This Article applies to the sums specified in the following provisions—
(a)Article 23(1) of the Employment Rights Order (maximum amount of a week's pay for the purposes of certain provisions of the Order relating to awards of compensation and redundancy payments);
(b)Article 231(1)(a) and (b) of the Employment Rights Order (employee's rights on insolvency of employer: maximum amount payable).
(2) The Department may, on one occasion only, by order substitute for each of the sums mentioned in paragraph (1) such higher sum as may be specified in the order.
(3) An order under this Article—
(a)may include transitional provision;
(b)may exclude, on a single occasion specified in the order under this Article, any duty to make an order under Article 33 of the 1999 Order (indexation of amounts, etc.), so far as relating to the sums mentioned in paragraph (1).
(4) Subject to any provision made under paragraph (3)(b), this Article does not affect the operation of Article 33 of the 1999 Order in relation to the sums substituted by the order under this Article in the provisions mentioned in paragraph (1).
(5) An order under this Article shall—
(a)be laid before the Assembly after being made; and
(b)take effect on such date as may be specified in the order but (without prejudice to the validity of anything done thereunder or to the making of a new order) shall 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 order is approved by a resolution of the Assembly.
(6) In this Article “the 1999 Order” means the Employment Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (NI 9).