Regulation 1 Citation, commencement and interpretation

These Regulations may be cited as the Occupational Pension Schemes (Equal Treatment) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 and shall come into operation on 30th August 2005.

In these Regulations—

• “the Equal Pay Act” means the Equal Pay Act (Northern Ireland) 1970^f1;

• “armed forces” means the naval, military or air forces of the Crown;

• “armed forces scheme” means any occupational pension scheme—

  1. (a)

     made under section 3 of the Naval and Marine Pay and Pensions Act 1865^f2 (payment of naval and marine pay and pensions according to Order in Council),

  2. (b)

     set out in the Army Pensions Warrant 1977^f3,

  3. (c)

     made under section 2 of the Air Force (Constitution) Act 1917^f4 (government, discipline and pay of Air Force),

  4. (d)

     made under sections 4 and 8 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996^f5 (orders and regulations concerning the reserve forces), or

  5. (e)

     made under section 1 of the Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Act 2004^f6 (pension and compensation schemes: armed and reserved forces);

• “commencement date” means the date specified in paragraph (1);

• “equality clause” shall be construed in accordance with section 1(2) of the Equal Pay Act^f7;

• “occupational pension scheme” has the meaning given by section 1 of the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993^f8 (categories of pension scheme);

• “pension-related term of service” has the meaning given by regulation 12(2); and

• “pensioner member” includes a person who is entitled to the present payment of pension or other benefits derived through a member.

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954^f9 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.