The Budget (No. 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003

Title and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the Budget (No. 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 and shall come into operation forthwith.

Interpretation

2.  The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 (c. 33) applies to this Order as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

Use of resources (other than accruing resources) in year ending 31st March 2002

3.—(1) For the purposes of section 6(1) of the Government Resources and Accounts Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 (c. 6) this Article authorises the use of resources by Northern Ireland departments to the amount of £6,290,575.78 in the year ending 31st March 2002.

(2) In that year, the use of resources by a Northern Ireland department for the purposes specified in relation to that department in column 1 of Schedule 1 is authorised up to the amounts specified in the corresponding entries in column 2 of that Schedule.

(3) In this Article “resources” does not include accruing resources within the meaning of section 8(1) of the Government Resources and Accounts Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 (c. 6).

Issue of sum out of the Consolidated Fund for the year ending 31st March 2004 and appropriation of that sum

4.—(1) The Department of Finance and Personnel may issue out of the Consolidated Fund and apply to the service of the year ending 31st March 2004 the sum of £5,008,759,000.

(2) That sum is appropriated for the purposes specified in Schedule 2.

Use of resources (other than accruing resources) in year ending 31st March 2004

5.—(1) For the purposes of section 6(1) of the Government Resources and Accounts Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 (c. 6), this Article authorises the use of resources in the year ending 31st March 2004.

(2) The use of resources by—

(a) the Northern Ireland departments;

(b) the Northern Ireland Assembly;

(c) the Northern Ireland Audit Office;

(d) the Assembly Ombudsman for Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Complaints;

(e) the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation,

in that year is authorised to the amount of £8,470,002,000.

(3) In that year, resources may be used by a Northern Ireland department or a body or person mentioned in paragraph (2) for the purposes specified in relation to that department, body or person in column 1 of Schedule 3 up to the amounts specified in the corresponding entries in column 2 of that Schedule.

(4) In this Article “resources” does not include accruing resources within the meaning of section 8(1) of the Government Resources and Accounts Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 (c. 6).

Limit on use of accruing resources in year ending 31st March 2004

6.—(1) For the purposes of section 8(1) of the Government Resources and Accounts Act (Northern Ireland) 2001, this Article sets the relevant limits on the accruing resources that may be directed to be used for certain purposes in the year ending on 31st March 2004 in addition to resources authorised by this Order or any other Budget Act to be used for those purposes in that year.

(2) In that year accruing resources not exceeding the amount specified in column 3 of Schedule 3 may be directed to be used for the purposes specified in the corresponding entries in column 1 of that Schedule.

Power of the Department of Finance and Personnel to borrow

7.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Department of Finance and Personnel may borrow on the credit of the sum specified in Article 4 any sum or sums not exceeding in the whole £2,504,380,000.

(2) Any money so borrowed shall be repaid, with any interest due thereon, out of the Consolidated Fund not later than 31st March 2004.

Repeal of spent enactments

8.  The enactments mentioned in Schedule 4 are hereby repealed to the extent specified in the second column of that Schedule.

A. K. Galloway

Clerk of the Privy Council