1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Occupational Pension Schemes (Administration and Audited Accounts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 and shall come into operation as follows—
(a)in the case of an occupational pension scheme established before 22nd September 2005, this regulation and regulations 2(1) to (4) and 3, on the first day of the first scheme year that starts on or after 22nd September 2005;
(b)in the case of an occupational pension scheme established on or after 22nd September 2005, this regulation and regulations 2(1) to (4) and 3, on 22nd September 2005, and
(c)for all other purposes, on 6th April 2006.
(2) In these Regulations—
“the Scheme Administration Regulations” means the Occupational Pension Schemes (Scheme Administration) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(1);
“scheme year” means—
either—
a year specified for the purposes of the scheme rules in any document which contains those scheme rules, or
if no such year is specified, a period of 12 months commencing on 1st April or on such date as the trustees or managers select, or
such other period (if any) exceeding 6 months but not exceeding 18 months as is selected by the trustees or managers in connection with—
the commencement or termination of the scheme, or
a variation of the date on which the year or period referred to in paragraph (a) is to commence.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(2) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.
(4) For the purposes of these Regulations and notwithstanding section 39(2) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954, where a period of time is expressed to begin on, or to be reckoned from, a particular day, that day shall be included in the period.
S.R. 1997 No. 94; relevant amending regulations are S.R. 1997 No. 160, S.R. 1999 No. 486 and S.R. 2000 No. 69