Commentary on Sections and Schedules Part 1: the Statistics Board Section 53 Power to authorise disclosure by the Board: Northern Ireland
224.This section provides Northern Ireland departments with the power to make regulations to authorise the Board to disclose information to Northern Ireland public authorities, in the same way, and essentially via the same mechanism, as the Minister for the Cabinet Office can make regulations to authorise the Board to disclose information in section 51. Regulations must be made by the Northern Ireland departments with the consent of the Minister for the Cabinet Office. The definition of a Northern Ireland public authority (as set out in section 67) is a public authority whose functions are exercisable only or mainly in or as regards Northern Ireland and relate only or mainly to transferred matters within the meaning of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.