These Regulations may be cited as the Housing Benefit (Recovery of Overpayments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 and shall come into operation on 3rd November 1997, immediately following the coming into operation of the Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment No. 7) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 19973.

In these Regulations—

• “the Act” means the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992;

• “the Housing Benefit Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 19874;

• and other expressions used in these Regulations and in the Housing Benefit Regulations shall have the same meanings in these Regulations as in the Housing Benefit Regulations.

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 19545 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to a Measure of the Assembly.