These Regulations may be cited as the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 and, save as is mentioned in paragraph (2), shall come into operation on 1st April 2015.

Regulation 2(3) (introduction and interpretation, actuarial guidance) shall come into operation on 1st September 2014 for the purpose of enabling the Department to issue actuarial guidance.

These Regulations establish a scheme for the payment of pensions and other benefits to or in respect of persons working in local government employment, and in these Regulations is referred to as “the Scheme”.

The Scheme manager responsible for the administration of pensions and other benefits payable under these Regulations, is the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee, and in these Regulations is referred to as “the Committee”.

The Department may, after consultation with the Government Actuary's Department, issue actuarial guidance to the Committee.

The Department may issue guidance to the Committee on the administration and management of the Scheme.

Before preparing or revising guidance under paragraph (3A), the Department must consult such persons as appear appropriate to it.

Schedule 1 (interpretation) contains definitions of expressions used in these Regulations which apply for their interpretation unless the context indicates they have a different meaning.