Northern Ireland Act 1998

55 Implementation bodies

(1) The Secretary of State may make an order about any body—

(a) which he considers to be an implementation body; and

(b) which is, or is to be, established on or before the appointed day.

(2) An order under this section may make any such provision as may be made (after the appointed day) by Act of the Assembly and may in particular—

(a) confer on the body the legal capacities of a body corporate;

(b) confer on the body any function which the Secretary of State considers necessary or expedient for the purpose for which it is, or is to be, established;

(c) confer on a Northern Ireland department power to make grants to the body out of money appropriated by Act of the Assembly;

(d) make provision as to the accounting and audit arrangements which are to apply in relation to the body; and

(e) make consequential or supplementary provisions, including provisions amending or repealing any Northern Ireland legislation, or any instrument made under such legislation.

(3) In this section “implementation body” means a body for implementing, on the basis mentioned in paragraph 11 of Strand Two of the Belfast Agreement, policies agreed in the North-South Ministerial Council.