Explanatory Memorandum

Budget (Northern Ireland) Order 2006

2006 No. 613

Commentary on Articles

11.Article 1: Title and commencement:

Article 2: Interpretation

Article 3: Issue of Sum out of the Consolidated Fund for year ending 31st March 2006 and appropriation of that sum.

Paragraph (1) authorises the issue out of the Consolidated Fund of Northern Ireland of the revised sum of £10,838,418,000 for 2005-2006

Paragraph (2) appropriates that sum for the purposes specified in Schedule 1.

Paragraph (3) provides authority for cash limits set by the Budget (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 and the Budget (No. 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 to be superseded by the amounts specified in column 2 of Schedule 1 of the Budget (Northern Ireland) Order 2006.

Article 4: Use of resources (other than accruing resources) in year ending 31st March 2006

This article authorises the use of resources amounting to £15,441,646,000 for 2005-2006, for the purposes specified in column 1 of Schedule 2.

Paragraph (4) provides authority for the resources limits set by the Budget (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 and the Budget (No. 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 to be superseded by the amounts specified in column 2 of Schedule 2 of the Budget (Northern Ireland) Order 2006.

Article 5:  Revised limits on use of certain accruing resources in year ending 31st March 2006

Paragraph (1) This article sets relevant limits on the total amount of accruing resources, including both operating and non-operating accruing resources that may be directed to be used for certain specified purposes as shown separately in the Spring Supplementary Estimates for 2005-06.

Paragraph (2) provides authority for the direction of accruing resources as specified in column 3 of Schedule 2 for the purposes specified in the corresponding entries in column 1 of that schedule.

Paragraph (3) provides authority for the accruing resources limits set by the Budget (No. 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 to be superseded by the amounts specified in column 3 of Schedule 2 of the Budget (Northern Ireland) Order 2006

Article 6: Issue of sum out of the Consolidated Fund for year ending 31st March 2007 and appropriation of that sum

Paragraph (1) authorises the issue out of the Consolidated Fund of Northern Ireland of the sum of £4,898,810,000 for 2006-07.

Paragraph (2) appropriates that sum for the purposes specified in Schedule 3.

Article 7: Power of the Department of Finance and Personnel to borrow

This article authorises the temporary borrowing by the Department of Finance and Personnel of approximately half the sum covered by Article 6 (1). This is a normal safeguard against the possibility of a temporary deficiency arising in the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund.

Article 8: Use of resources (other than accruing resources) for year ending 31st March 2007

This article authorises the use of resources amounting to £6,284,418,000 for 2006-07, for the purposes specified in column 1 of Schedule 4.