Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill

Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill - continued	House of Commons

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	PART VI
	GENERAL
	Miscellaneous
Contributions and pensions administration.	70. Schedule 11 (which contains amendments dealing with administrative matters relating to contributions and pensions) shall have effect.
Authorisation of certain expenditure.	71. - (1) Where-
	(a) a Minister of the Crown is proposing that or considering whether an Act should change the law as from a specified date, or a date to be determined; and
	(b) the Secretary of State is of the opinion that the change is such that, unless expenditure for preparing for the change is incurred during the period before the passing of that Act, it will not be possible for a service for which he has or will have responsibility to be effectively provided as from that date,
	the Secretary of State may, subject to subsections (2) and (3), incur such expenditure during that period.
	(2) Expenditure is not authorised by virtue of subsection (1) unless-
	(a) the Secretary of State has with the consent of the Treasury laid before the House of Commons a report which states-
	(i) the change in the law which the Minister of the Crown is proposing or considering; and
	(ii) the amount of the expenditure which the Secretary of State proposes to incur and the purposes for which he proposes to incur it; and
	(b) the report has been approved by a resolution of the House of Commons.
	(3) Expenditure is not authorised by virtue of subsection (1) at any time after the end of the period of two years beginning with the day on which the resolution under subsection (2)(b) is passed.
	(4) Subsection (1) is without prejudice to any power of the Secretary of State to incur expenditure otherwise than by virtue of that subsection.
	(5) There shall be made out of the National Insurance Fund into the Consolidated Fund such payments as the Secretary of State determines (in accordance with any directions of the Treasury) to be appropriate in consequence of the operation of this section.
	(6) Any payments falling to be made by virtue of subsection (5) shall be made at such times and in such manner as may be determined by the Treasury.
	(7) In this section "the Secretary of State" means the Secretary of State having responsibility for social security.
	Supplementary
Regulations and orders.	72. - (1) Any power under this Act to make regulations or orders shall be exercisable by statutory instrument.
	(2) A statutory instrument-
	(a) which contains (whether alone or with other provisions) regulations made under this Act, and
	(b) which is not subject to any requirement that a draft of the instrument be laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament,
	shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
	(3) Any power under this Act to make regulations or orders may be exercised-
	(a) either in relation to all cases to which the power extends, or in relation to those cases subject to specified exceptions, or in relation to any specified cases or classes of case;
	(b) so as to make, as respects the cases in relation to which it is exercised-
	(i) the full provision to which the power extends or any less provision (whether by way of exception or otherwise);
	(ii) the same provision for all cases in relation to which the power is exercised, or different provision for different cases or different classes of case or different provision as respects the same case or class of case for different purposes of this Act;
	(iii) any such provision either unconditionally or subject to any specified condition.
	(4) Where any such power is expressed to be exercisable for alternative purposes it may be exercised in relation to the same case for any or all of those purposes.
	(5) Any such power includes power-
	(a) to make such incidental, supplementary, consequential, saving or transitional provision (including provision amending, repealing or revoking enactments) as appears to the authority making the regulations or order to be expedient; and
	(b) to provide for a person to exercise a discretion in dealing with any matter.
	(6) Any power to make regulations or an order for the purposes of any provision of this Act is without prejudice to any power to make regulations or an order for the purposes of any other provision of this or any other Act.
	(7) Any power conferred by this Act to make regulations or an order relating to-
	(a) housing benefit, or
	(b) council tax benefit,
	includes power to make different provision for different areas or different authorities; and regulations under section 51 may make different provision for different areas.
	(8) Any power to make regulations under Part IV, except sections 22 and 42, shall, if the Treasury so direct, be exercisable only in conjunction with them.
	(9) Before exercising any power to make regulations under Part IV, the person on whom the power is conferred, or, if the power is the subject of a direction under subsection (8), that person and the Treasury acting jointly, shall consult such persons as he, or they, may consider appropriate.
Consequential amendments etc.	73. - (1) The consequential amendments specified in Schedule 12 shall have effect.
	(2) The Secretary of State may by regulations make such amendments or revocations of any instrument made under an Act as he thinks necessary or expedient in consequence of the coming into force of any of the provisions specified in subsection (4).
	(3) The Secretary of State may, for the purposes of or in connection with the coming into force of any of the provisions specified in subsection (4), make by regulations any provision which could be made by an order bringing the provision into force.
	(4) The provisions mentioned in subsections (2) and (3) are-
	(a) Part IV;
	(b) subsection (1) above so far as relating to paragraphs 14 to 62 of Schedule 12;
	(c) section 74(7); and
	(d) section 76 so far as relating to Part III of Schedule 13.
Transitional provisions.	74. - (1) The Secretary of State may, for the purposes of or in connection with the coming into force of any provisions of Parts I and II, by regulations make such transitional adaptations or modifications-
	(a) of those provisions, or
	(b) in connection with those provisions, of any provisions of-
	(i) this Act,
	(ii) the Pension Schemes Act 1993, or
	(iii) the Pensions Act 1995,
	then in force,
	as he considers necessary or expedient.
	(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), section 76 so far as relating to Part I of Schedule 13, together with that Part of that Schedule, shall be taken to be comprised in Part II of this Act.
	(3) No pension sharing order may be made under section 24B or 31(7B) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 in relation to a marriage which-
	(a) has been dissolved by a divorce order made before the day on which section 17 comes into force,
	(b) is the subject of a separation order immediately before that day, or
	(c) is the subject of marital proceedings on that day.
	(4) Subsection (3)(b) ceases to apply to a marriage if the separation order is cancelled.
	(5) Subsection (3)(c) ceases to apply to a marriage if-
	(a) the marital proceedings come to an end without the making of a separation order or divorce order, or
	(b) the marital proceedings come to an end on the making of a separation order and that order is subsequently cancelled.
	(6) No pension sharing order may be made under section 24D of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 if the proceedings in which the decree of nullity is granted were begun before the day on which section 17 comes into force.
	(7) Neither paragraph (b) nor paragraph (c) of section 22(1) or 42(1) applies if the marriage is one to which paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of subsection (3) applies.
	(8) Paragraph 2(2) of Schedule 3 does not have effect in relation to a marriage to which paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of subsection (3) applies.
	(9) No pension sharing order may be made under section 8(1) of the Family Law (Scotland) Act 1985 in any action of divorce, or in any action for declarator of nullity, brought before the day on which section 18 comes into force.
	(10) The Secretary of State may by regulations make such transitional or consequential provision, or such savings, as he considers necessary or expedient for the purposes of or in connection with-
	(a) the coming into force of any provision of Part V, or
	(b) the operation of any enactment repealed or amended by a provision of Part V during any period when the repeal or amendment is not wholly in force.
	(11) For the purposes of subsection (10), section 76 so far as relating to Parts IV to VII of Schedule 13, together with those Parts of that Schedule, shall be taken to be comprised in Part V of this Act.
	(12) In this section references to marital proceedings are to be read in accordance with section 20 of the Family Law Act 1996.
General financial provisions.	75. - (1) There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament-
	(a) any expenditure incurred by a Minister of the Crown or government department under this Act; and
	(b) any increase attributable to this Act in the sums which under any other Act are payable out of money so provided.
	(2) There shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund any increase attributable to this Act in the sums which under any other Act are payable into that Fund.
Repeals.	76. The enactments specified in Schedule 13 (which include certain enactments no longer of practical utility) are hereby repealed to the extent specified in the third column of that Schedule.
Commencement.	77. - (1) Subject to the provisions of this section, the provisions of this Act shall not come into force until such day as the Secretary of State may by order appoint.
	(2) The following provisions shall not come into force until such day as the Lord Chancellor may by order appoint-
	(a) sections 17, 19 and 20;
	(b) section 73(1) so far as relating to paragraphs 1 to 5 of Schedule 12;
	(c) section 74(3) to (6), (8) and (12); and
	(d) section 76 so far as relating to the entries in Part II of Schedule 13 in respect of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 and sections 9(8) and 16 of the Family Law Act 1996.
	(3) The following provisions come into force on the day on which this Act is passed-
	(a) sections 51, 59 and 62;
	(b) section 61 so far as relating to Part V of Schedule 8;
	(c) section 63;
	(d) sections 68 to 72;
	(e) section 73(2) to (4);
	(f) section 74(1), (2), (10) and (11); and
	(g) section 75, this section and sections 78 and 79.
	(4) The following provisions come into force on the day on which this Act is passed, but for the purpose only of the exercise of any power to make regulations-
	(a) Parts I to IV;
	(b) sections 50 and 52; and
	(c) section 61 so far as relating to paragraph 23 of Schedule 8.
	(5) Without prejudice to section 72, an order under this section may appoint different days for different purposes or different areas.
Extent.	78. - (1) The following provisions extend to England and Wales only-
	(a) sections 17, 19 and 20 and Schedules 3 and 4;
	(b) paragraphs 1 to 5 of Schedule 12, and section 73(1) so far as relating thereto; and
	(c) section 74(3) to (8) and (12).
	(2) The following provisions extend to Scotland only-
	(a) sections 13 and 18;
	(b) paragraphs 6 to 13 of Schedule 12, and section 73(1) so far as relating thereto; and
	(c) section 74(9).
	(3) The following provisions extend to England and Wales and Scotland only-
	(a) section 2(4) and (5);
	(b) sections 3 to 7 and Schedule 1;
	(c) sections 9 to 12, 14 and 15;
	(d) Schedule 2 (except for paragraphs 1(1), 4(2) and 12), and section 16 so far as relating thereto;
	(e) Part IV except sections 36 to 38;
	(f) Chapter I of Part V (except paragraph 1 of Schedule 8, and section 61 so far as relating thereto);
	(g) sections 64 and 66 and Schedule 9;
	(h) section 68;
	(i) paragraphs 1 to 8, 16 to 19, 26, 27, 29 and 31 of Schedule 11, and section 70 so far as relating thereto;
	(j) paragraphs 14 to 62 and 66 to 68 of Schedule 12, and section 73(1) so far as relating thereto; and
	(k) section 73(2) to (4).
	(4) The following provisions extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland-
	(a) sections 1, 2(1) to (3) and (6) and 8;
	(b) paragraphs 1(1) and 12 of Schedule 2, and section 16 so far as relating thereto;
	(c) sections 36 to 38;
	(d) paragraph 1 of Schedule 8, and section 61 so far as relating thereto;
	(e) section 69;
	(f) paragraphs 23 to 25 of Schedule 11, and section 70 so far as relating thereto;
	(g) sections 71 and 72;
	(h) paragraphs 63 to 65 of Schedule 12, and section 73(1) so far as relating thereto;
	(i) sections 74(1), (2), (10) and (11) and 75; and
	(j) section 77, this section and section 79.
	(5) The following provisions extend to Northern Ireland only-
	(a) paragraph 4(2) of Schedule 2, and section 16 so far as relating thereto;
	(b) sections 65 and 67 and Schedule 10;
	(c) paragraphs 9 to 15, 20 to 22, 28, 30 and 32 of Schedule 11, and section 70 so far as relating thereto; and
	(d) paragraphs 69 to 71 of Schedule 12, and section 73(1) so far as relating thereto.
	(6) Nothing in the preceding provisions of this section applies to any repeal made by this Act; and the extent of any such repeal is the same as that of the enactment repealed.
Short title and general interpretation.	79. - (1) This Act may be cited as the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999.
	(2) In this Act-
	"the Administration Act" means the Social Security Administration Act 1992;
	"the Contributions and Benefits Act" means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992.
	(3) In this Act, except sections 73(2) and (3), 74(1) and (10) and 77, and in any Act amended by this Act, references to the coming into force of any provision of this Act are to its coming into force otherwise than for the purpose of authorising the making of regulations.

Prepared 28 April 1999