
1 

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Statutory Maternity Pay (General) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 and shall come into operation on 12th June 1996.
(2) In these Regulations “the principal Regulations” means the Statutory Maternity Pay (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987.
(3) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to a Measure of the Assembly.
2 
In regulation 21 of the principal Regulations (normal weekly earnings)—
(a) in paragraph (1) for “paragraphs (2) to (6)” there shall be substituted “the following provisions of this regulation”;
(b) after paragraph (6) there shall be added the following paragraph—“
(7) In a case where a woman receives a back-dated pay increase which includes a sum in respect of a relevant period, normal weekly earnings shall be calculated as if such a sum was paid in that relevant period even though received after that period.”.
3 
After regulation 21A of the principal Regulations (effect of statutory maternity pay on incapacity benefit) there shall be inserted the following regulation—“
21B 
Where a woman, in any week which falls within the maternity pay period, is—
(a) in receipt of maternity allowance pursuant to the provisions of section 35(1A) of the Contributions and Benefits Act; and
(b) entitled to receive statutory maternity pay in consequence of receiving a back-dated pay increase which includes a sum in respect of the relevant period,the employer shall only be liable to make payments of statutory maternity pay in respect of such week of an amount equal to the amount (if any) by which the rate of statutory maternity pay exceeds the rate of maternity allowance received by her in that week.”.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland on .
W. G. Purdy
Assistant Secretary
20th May 1996