Paragraph 2 Interpretation

In this Scheme—

• “the 1967 Act” means the Transport Act (Northern Ireland) 1967^f1;

• “the 2020 Scheme” means the Bus Operator Financial Assistance Scheme 2020^f2;

• “2020 Scheme financial assistance payment” means a payment made under the 2020 Scheme to a person who satisfied the Department that they were eligible under that Scheme;

• “application” means an application for a financial assistance payment made in accordance with paragraph 4 and “applicant” shall be construed accordingly;

• “the Department” means the Department for Infrastructure;

• “determination” means the determination of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, acting jointly, and made on 23rd February 2021 that exceptional circumstances exist for licensed bus and coach operators as a consequence of the outbreak of Coronavirus, including financial hardship arising from the loss of business. It is desirable to provide financial assistance to mitigate the effect of that outbreak on licensed bus and coach operators and that such assistance ought to be provided in accordance with a Scheme made under section 1 of the Financial Assistance Act (Northern Ireland) 2009;

• “eligible income” means the total income of an eligible person for the eligible period or, as the case may be, for each of the reference periods, declared in the application or determined by the Department based on the information provided by the applicant including under paragraph 4(4) if appropriate;

• “eligible period” means the period beginning on 1st October 2020 and ending on 31st March 2021;

• “eligible person” means a person who satisfies the requirements of paragraph 5;

• “financial assistance payment” means a payment by the Department for the purpose set out in paragraph 3 and in accordance with paragraph 6;

• “reference periods” means the period beginning on 1st October 2018 and ending on 31st March 2019 and the period beginning on 1st October 2019 and ending on 31st March 2020; and

• “supplementary financial assistance payment” means a supplementary payment by the Department for the purpose set out in paragraph 3 and in accordance with paragraph 8.

Terms and expressions used in the 1967 Act have the same meaning in this Scheme.

A reference in this Scheme to anything done in writing or produced in written form includes a reference to an electronic communication which has been recorded and is consequently capable of being reproduced.