# Insolvency (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2026, Section 99: Power to give further protection to essential supplies

Extent: N.I.

(1) The Department may by regulations make provision for insolvency-related terms of a contract for the supply of essential goods or services to an individual to cease to have effect where—
(a) a voluntary arrangement proposed by the individual is approved under Chapter 2 of Part 8 of the 1989 Order, and
(b) any conditions specified in the regulations are met.
(2) The regulations must include a condition that ensures that an insolvency-related term of a contract for the supply of essential goods or services to an individual does not cease to have effect unless the supply is for the purpose of a business that is or has been carried on by the individual or with which the individual has or had another connection of a kind specified in the regulations.
(3) The regulations must include provision for securing that, where an insolvency-related term of a contract ceases to have effect under the regulations, the contract may be terminated by the supplier if—
(a) the supervisor of the voluntary arrangement consents to the termination,
(b) a court grants permission for the termination, or
(c) any charges in respect of the supply that are incurred after the voluntary arrangement proposed by the individual is approved are not paid within the period of 28 days beginning with the day on which payment is due.
(4) The regulations must include provision for securing that, where an insolvency-related term of a contract ceases to have effect under the regulations, the supplier may terminate the supply unless the supervisor of the voluntary arrangement personally guarantees the payment of any charges in respect of the continuation of the supply.
(5) The regulations may provide for exceptions to the right of the supplier to terminate a supply under provision made by virtue of subsection (4).
(6) The regulations must (in addition to the provision mentioned in subsections (3) and (4)) include such other provision as the Department considers appropriate for securing that the interests of suppliers are protected.
(7) A “contract for the supply of essential goods or services” is a contract for a supply mentioned in Article 343(4).
(8) An “insolvency-related term” of a contract for the supply of essential goods or services to an individual is a provision of the contract under which—
(a) the contract or supply would terminate, or any other thing would take place, because the voluntary arrangement proposed by the individual is approved,
(b) the supplier would be entitled to terminate the contract or the supply, or to do any other thing, because the voluntary arrangement proposed by the individual is approved, or
(c) the supplier would be entitled to terminate the contract or the supply because of an event that occurred before the voluntary arrangement proposed by the individual is approved.

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2026/6/section/99 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/insolvency-amendment-act-northern-ireland-2026/section-99
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.