Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973

3 Alterations in devolved responsibilities. U.K.

(1) If at any time after the appointed day it appears to the Secretary of State—

(a) that any matter (not being an excepted matter) which is not a transferred matter by virtue of an Order under section 2 above or a previous Order under this section should become a transferred matter; or

(b) that any matter which by virtue of any such Order is a transferred matter should cease to be such a matter,

he may, subject to subsection (2) below, lay before Parliament the draft of an Order in Council declaring that the matter shall be or, as the case may be, shall cease to be a transferred matter with effect from such date as may be specified in the Order.

(2) The Secretary of State shall not lay before Parliament the draft of an Order in Council declaring that any matter not specified in Schedule 3 to this Act shall cease to be a transferred matter unless the Assembly has passed a resolution praying that it should cease to be a transferred matter.

(3) Subsection (3) of section 2 above shall have effect in relation to any draft laid before Parliament under this section as it has effect in relation to a draft laid before Parliament under that section.

(4) Any matter (not being an excepted matter) which is not for the time being a transferred matter is in this Act referred to as a “reserved matter”.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 3(2) amended by Patents, Designs and Marks Act 1986 (c. 39, SIF 67A), s. 2(2)

C2 S. 3(2) amended by Social Security Act 1986 (c. 50, SIF 113:1), s. 82, Sch. 9 paras. 6(1), 8(2)

C3 S. 3(2) amended by Building Societies Act 1986 (c. 53, SIF 16), ss. 54(3)(a)(5), 122(2)

C4 S. 3(2) amended by Financial Services Act 1986 (c. 60, SIF 69), s. 209(2)

C5 S. 3(2) amended by Banking Act 1987 (c. 22, SIF 10), s. 109(2)

C6 S. 3(2) amended by Social Security Act 1990 (c. 27, SIF 113:1), s. 22(2)

C7 S. 3(2) amended (prosp.) by Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (c. 37, SIF 83:1), ss. 39(3), 43(2), 48(2), 49(2)

C8 S. 3(2) amended by Environmental Protection Act 1990 (c. 43, SIF 46:4), ss. 3(8), 153(5)