Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973

6 Parliamentary control of Measures dealing with excepted or reserved matters

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, a proposed Measure to which the Secretary of State has consented under section 5(3) or (5) above shall not be submitted by him to Her Majesty in Council unless he has first laid it before Parliament and either—

(a) the period of twenty days beginning with the date on which it is laid has expired without notice having been given in either House of a motion praying that the proposed Measure shall not be submitted to Her Majesty in Council for approval; or

(b) if notice of such a motion is given within that period the motion has been rejected or withdrawn.

(2) Subsection (1) above shall not apply to a proposed Measure if the Secretary of State considers that it contains no provision dealing with an excepted matter or reserved matter except a provision which is ancillary (within the meaning of section 5 above) to other provisions dealing with transferred matters only.

(3) Subsection (1) above shall not apply to a proposed Measure if the Secretary of State considers that by reason of urgency it should be submitted to Her Majesty in Council without first being laid before Parliament.

(4) Any Measure submitted by virtue of subsection (3) above shall, if approved by Her Majesty in Council, be laid before Parliament by the Secretary of State after approval, and if—

(a) within the period of twenty days beginning with the date on which it is laid notice is given in either House of a motion praying that the Measure shall cease to have effect; and

(b) that motion is carried,

Her Majesty may by Order in Council repeal that Measure with effect from such date as may be specified in the Order.

(5) An Order in Council under subsection (4) above may make such consequential or transitional provision in connection with the repeal as appears to Her Majesty to be necessary or expedient.

(6) Any notice of motion for the purposes of subsection (1) or (4) above must be signed by not less than twenty members of the House in which it is given ; and any period mentioned in those subsections shall be computed, in relation to each House, by reference only to days on which that House sits.