Policy background
There has been no Northern Ireland Executive since 9 January 2017, when the then deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland resigned, which also resulted in the First Minister ceasing to hold office. The period for the appointment of ministers to form an Executive after the extraordinary Assembly election in March 2017 was extended to 29 June (by the Northern Ireland (Ministerial Appointments and Regional Rates) Act 2017), but no ministers were appointed. The Northern Ireland Assembly has not met since its first post-election meeting on 13 March 2017. In November 2017, the UK Government addressed the clear and urgent need for budgetary certainty for the Northern Ireland Civil Service by introducing the Northern Ireland Budget Act 2017, an Act that would normally be required to be passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
	With the parties not having yet reached an agreement on the formation of a new Northern Ireland Executive, this Act makes necessary provisions in light of the continued absence of Assembly business, in order to protect and preserve public services and finances. It enables the collection of regional rates in 2018-19 and the continued operation of the current Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) cost-capping scheme.