1. These Regulations may be cited as the Health Services (Pilot Schemes: Financial Assistance for Preparatory Work) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 and shall come into operation on 22nd June 1998.
2.—(1) A board may make payments of financial assistance for preparatory work in connection with preparing proposals for a pilot scheme.
(2) Subject to the provisions of this regulation, a payment mentioned in paragraph (1) shall be made only following receipt by the board of a written application from a person (“the applicant”)—
(a)who wishes to provide piloted services; and
(b)with whom an agreement which constitutes, or is part of, a pilot scheme may be made(1).
(3) Payments of financial assistance may be made under this regulation only if—
(a)the applicant specifies in his application the purposes for which he intends to use the payment of financial assistance for which he has applied;
(b)the board has notified the applicant in writing that it is willing to make a payment of financial assistance to him for the purposes so specified, and of the maximum amount of the payment which it is willing to make; and
(c)the applicant has satisfied the board that—
(i)he has incurred costs which are not less than the amount of the payment of financial assistance;
(ii)the costs were incurred before the date specified in directions(2), given by the Department to boards, as the latest date by which proposals must be submitted by boards to the Department; and
(iii)the costs were incurred for the purposes specified in the application.
(4) Where two or more persons have together applied for financial assistance, payment may be made to any one of them on behalf of them all; but otherwise in such a case “the applicant” means all of them together.
3.—(1) A person to whom a payment of financial assistance is made under regulation 2 shall comply with any conditions which the board may impose in writing in connection with the requirements mentioned in that regulation.
(2) A person to whom a payment of financial assistance is made under regulation 2 who fails to comply with any conditions imposed by the board under this regulation shall, on demand by the board, repay the amount of the payment forthwith.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health and Social Services on
L.S.
Joan Dixon
Assistant Secretary
19th May 1998.