The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Consultation by Employers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

Introductory

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Consultation by Employers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 and shall come into operation on 6th April 2006.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations—

“the Information and Consultation Regulations” means the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005(1)

“the Order” means the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 2005;

“active member”—

(a)

in relation to an occupational pension scheme, has the meaning given by Article 121 of the 1995 Order(2) (interpretation of Part II), and

(b)

in relation to a personal pension scheme, means any member in respect of whom employer contributions fall to be paid;

“affected members” has the meaning given by regulation 7(4);

“employer contributions”, in relation to an occupational or personal pension scheme, means contributions payable by or on behalf of the employer in relation to the scheme on his own account (but in respect of one or more employees);

“member contributions”, in relation to an occupational or personal pension scheme, means contributions, other than voluntary contributions, by or on behalf of active members of the scheme which are payable out of deductions from the member’s earnings;

“listed change” has the meaning given by regulation 6(2);

“multi-employer scheme” has the meaning given by Article 280 of the Order (modification of this Order in relation to certain categories of schemes);

“personal pension scheme” has the meaning given by regulation 3(3);

“prospective member”—

(a)

in relation to an occupational pension scheme, means any person who, under the terms of his contract of service or the rules of the scheme—

(i)

is able, at his own option, to become a member of the scheme,

(ii)

will become so able if he continues in the same employment for a sufficiently long period,

(iii)

will be admitted to the scheme automatically unless he makes an election not to become a member, or

(iv)

may be admitted to it subject to the consent of his employer;

(b)

in relation to a personal pension scheme, means any person who, under the terms of his contract of service, is eligible if he becomes a member of the scheme for employer contributions to be paid in respect of him;

“relevant employer” has the meaning given by regulation 3(2).

(1)

S.R. 2005 No. 47

(2)

S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I. 22)