Pensions Bill

This clause provides that any Order in Council made for Northern Ireland at paragraph 1(1) of the Schedule to the Northern Ireland Act 2000 making provision correspondingto those in the Bill would not be subject to the affirmative procedure of parliamentary scrutiny, but would instead be subject to the negative procedure. The clause also provides that the Order in Council would be annulled should the Assembly be restored. As is the convention, the intention was that an Order in Council would replicate the provisions of the Pensions Bill for Northern Ireland and maintain the long-standing policy of parity in this area, while maintaining the integrity of the separate Northern Ireland body of law in this field. However, because the Northern Ireland Assembly is now up and running, a provision corresponding to the Bill extending to Northern Ireland reverts to being a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive and the Assembly. The Assembly will therefore enact the legislation corresponding to the Bill after Royal Assent, in accordance with the normal processes governing Orders in Council made under the Northern Ireland Act 2000. Accordingly, I oppose the Question that Clause 27 stand part of the Bill.