The following Letters Patent were signed by Her Majesty the Queen on 8th January 2015 in respect of the Work and Families Bill (34/11-15)

“ELIZABETH THE SECOND by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, To the Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly GREETING:

WHEREAS you the Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly have passed a Bill the short title of which is set out in the Schedule hereto but the said Bill does not become an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly without Our Royal Assent:

AND WHEREAS pursuant to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 the said Bill has been submitted to Us by the Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP one of Our Principal Secretaries of State for our Royal Assent;

We have therefore caused these Our Letters Patent to be made and have signed them and by them We give our Royal Assent to the said BILL COMMANDING Master Andrew Wells the Clerk of the Crown for Northern Ireland AND ALSO COMMANDING that these Our Letters be notified to the Presiding Officer of Northern Ireland Assembly;

AND FINALLY WE declare that, in accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 1998, at the beginning of the day on which Our Royal Assent has been notified as aforesaid the said Bill shall become an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent

WITNESS Ourself at Buckingham Palace

on the 22nd day of December 2014

in the sixty third year of Our Reign

By the Queen Herself Signed with Her own Hand”

Schedule

The Work and Families Bill

A Bill to make provision about shared rights to leave from work and statutory pay in connection with caring for children; time off work to accompany to ante-natal appointments or to attend adoption appointments; to make provision about the right to request flexible working; and for connected purposes.