Commentary on provisions of Act Section 4 – Issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund for year ending 31 March 2019 and appropriation of that sum
Section 4 authorises the issue out of the Consolidated Fund of Northern Ireland the sum of £7,343,531,000 for the purposes set out in Schedule 3. This authorisation is a vote on account to allow public services to continue to be delivered into the early months of the new financial year. This is a normal process for any supply and appropriation Act and does not imply the setting of a Budget for the 2018-19 year. Its purpose is to provide access to cash and resources to ensure that services can continue to be delivered pending the consideration of a Budget Act for the full 2018-19 financial year, which should be done by the Northern Ireland Assembly based on a Budget position agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive.