Budget Act (Northern Ireland) 2024

Limits on use of resources

2.—(1) Schedule 1 contains estimates relating to the persons mentioned in section 1(3) for the year ending 31 March 2024 (“Schedule 1 estimates”).

(2) In the year ending 31 March 2024, a person mentioned in section 1(3) may use resources in accordance with subsections (3) to (7) and the Schedule 1 estimate relating to that person.

(3) The person may use resources specified in column 2 of Part 1 of the estimate for the purposes specified in Part 2 of the estimate; but this is subject to subsections (4) to (7).

(4) Where Part 1 of the estimate authorises the use of net resources for current purposes, the person—

(a) may use resources up to the amount so authorised for current purposes;

(b) must not use those resources for capital purposes.

(5) Where Part 1 of the estimate authorises the use of net resources for capital purposes, the person—

(a) may use resources up to the amount so authorised for capital purposes;

(b) must not use those resources for current purposes.

(6) Where Part 1 of the estimate authorises the use of net resources in relation to a category of expenditure, the person—

(a) may use resources up to the amount so authorised for a purpose identified in the estimate as falling within that category of expenditure;

(b) must not use those resources for any other purpose.

(7) The categories of expenditure are—

(a) expenditure subject to a departmental expenditure limit;

(b) annually managed expenditure;

(c) non-budget expenditure.

(8) The authorisations in this section and in section 1 supersede those made by sections 1 and 2 of the Northern Ireland Budget (No.2) Act 2023, which total £27,403,514,000.

In relation to any amount of resource specified in column 2 of Part 1 of a Schedule 1 estimate, any increase or decrease by virtue of this section in the amount authorised is given in column 3 of that Part.