The Bus Operator (Coronavirus, Financial Assistance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022

Interpretation

2.—(1) In this Scheme—

“the 1967 Act” means the Transport Act (Northern Ireland) 1967(1);

“application” means an application for a financial assistance payment made in accordance with paragraph 4 and “applicant” shall be construed accordingly;

“the Department” means the Department for Infrastructure;

“determination” means the determination of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, acting jointly, and made on 24th January 2022 that exceptional circumstances exist for licensed bus and coach operators as a consequence of the outbreak of Coronavirus, including financial hardship arising from the loss of business. It is desirable to provide financial assistance to mitigate the effect of that outbreak on licensed bus and coach operators and that such assistance ought to be provided in accordance with a Scheme made under section 1 of the Financial Assistance Act (Northern Ireland) 2009;

“eligible income” means the total income of an eligible person for the eligible period or, as the case may be, for each of the reference periods, declared in the application or as may be determined by the Department based on the information provided by the applicant in accordance with the requirements of the notice published under paragraph 4(1) and under paragraph 4(4) if appropriate;

“eligible period” means the period beginning on 1st April 2021 and ending on 31st January 2022;

“eligible person” means a person who satisfies the requirements of paragraph 5;

“financial assistance payment” means a payment by the Department for the purpose set out in paragraph 3 and in accordance with paragraph 6; and

“reference periods” means the period beginning on 1st April 2018 and ending on 31st January 2019 and the period beginning on 1st April 2019 and ending on 31st January 2020.

(2) Terms and expressions used in the 1967 Act have the same meaning in this Scheme.

(3) A reference in this Scheme to anything done in writing or produced in written form includes a reference to an electronic communication which has been recorded and is consequently capable of being reproduced.

(1)

1967 c. 37 (N.I.)