The Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections and Periodsof Suspension) Act 2003 (Consequential Modifications) Order 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order modifies the Representation of the People Act 1983 (“the 1983 Act”) in connection with provision made under the amendment made by section 1(2) of the Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections and Periods of Suspension) Act 2003 (“the 2003 Act”). The provision in question is the Order made by the Secretary of State specifying the date for the next Assembly election as 26th November 2003. The Order also modifies section 1 of the Allowances to Members of the Assembly Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 in connection with provision made under the amendment made by section 4 of the 2003 Act. The provision in question is a determination made by the Secretary of State under sections 47 and 48 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 by virtue of section 4 of the 2003 Act.

Article 2 of the Order provides that the last date for publication of the registers as provided for in section 13(1) of the 1983 Act, following the annual canvass in October 2003, shall be 1st February 2004 instead of 1st December 2003. Article 3(a) provides that in relation to the versions of the registers to be published on 1st February 2004, references in any enactment to the date of publication in section 13(1) of the 1983 Act will be to that provision as modified in article 2. The effect of article 3(b) is that no notice of alteration of the register is required to be published during the period of four months prior to 1st February 2004.

Article 4 provides that a resettlement allowance shall not be payable to a person under section 1 of the Allowances to Members of the Assembly Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 if he has given a termination notice under a determination made by the Secretary of State under sections 47 and 48 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 by virtue of section 4 of the 2003 Act. Persons who gave such a notice became entitled to a payment equivalent to resettlement allowance.