
Now, therefore, the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by sections 129 and 165(1) and (3) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 and Article 4(3) of the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1993 and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, and with the consent of the Department of Finance and Personnel in so far as relates to Article 6 of this Order, hereby makes the following Order:

1 

(1) This Order may be cited as the Social Security (Contributions) (Re-rating and Northern Ireland National Insurance Fund Payments) Order (Northern Ireland) 1997 and shall come into operation on 6th April 1997.
(2) In this Order “the Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992.
(3) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to this Order as it applies to a Measure of the Assembly.
2 
In section 9(3) of the Act (appropriate percentage rates) for the figure 10·2 specified in respect of Bracket 4 there shall be substituted the figure 10.
3 
In section 11 of the Act (Class 2 contributions)—
(a) in subsection (1) (weekly rate) for “£6·05” there shall be substituted “£6·15”;
(b) in subsection (4) (small earnings exception) for “£3,430” there shall be substituted “£3,480”.
4 
In section 13(1) of the Act (amount of Class 3 contributions) for “£5·95” there shall be substituted “£6·05”.
5 
In sections 15(3) and 18(1) of the Act (Class 4 contributions recoverable under the Income Tax Acts and under regulations)—
(a) for “£6,860” (lower limit) wherever it appears there shall be substituted in each of those sections “£7,010”;
(b) for “£23,660” (upper limit) there shall be substituted in each of those sections “£24,180”.
6 
Article 4(3) of the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1993 (payments into National Insurance Fund out of appropriated money) shall have effect with respect to the tax year 1997-98 and the prescribed percentage of estimated benefit expenditure for the financial year ending in that tax year shall be 4 per cent.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland on
John O'Neill
Assistant Secretary
3rd March 1997.The Department of Finance and Personnel hereby consents to Article 6 of the foregoing Order.Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on
J. G. Sullivan
Assistant Secretary
3rd March 1997.