Section 4: Issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund for year ending 31 March 2020 and appropriation of that sum
Section 4 authorises the issue out of the Consolidated Fund of Northern Ireland the sum of £11,852,037,000 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 first half 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 2019-20 year. Its purpose is to provide access to cash to ensure that services can continue to be delivered pending the consideration of a Budget Act for the full 2019-20 financial year, which should be done by the Northern Ireland Assembly based on a Budget position agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive or at Westminster in its absence.