HEALTH AND PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES Citation and commencement 1 These Regulations may be cited as the Health and Personal Social Services (Superannuation) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 and shall come into operation on 1st September 1997. Interpretation 2 In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” means the Health and Personal Social Services (Superannuation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 . Amendment of regulation 2 of the principal Regulations (Interpretation) 3 In regulation 2 of the principal Regulations— a in the definition of “employing authority”— i in sub-paragraphs ( a ), ( b ), ( c ) and ( d ) the word “and” shall be deleted in each place where it last appears; ii in sub-paragraph ( d ) after the word “scheme” for the full stop there shall be substituted “, and”; and iii after sub-paragraph ( e ) there shall be added the following sub-paragraph— f a registered medical practitioner whose name is included on a list kept pursuant to the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical and Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1973 , working either as a sole practitioner, or as a group of such practitioners acting jointly, whether or not practicising in a partnership, in respect of the employment of practice staff. ; b after the definition of “personal pension scheme” there shall be inserted the following definition— “practice staff” means persons (other than assistants, associates, or trainee practitioners) employed by a registered medical practitioner whose name is included on a list kept pursuant to the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical and Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1973, working either as a sole practitioner, or by a group of such practitioners acting jointly, whether or not practising in a partnership, to assist with the provision of general medical services in accordance with arrangements made under Article 56 of the “Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 ;”; and after the definition of “qualifying service” there shall be inserted the following definition— “registered medical practitioner” means a fully registered person within the meaning of the “Medical Act 1983 ;”. Amendment of regulation 14 of the principal Regulations (Early retirement pension (redundancy etc.)) 4 In regulation 14 of the principal Regulations after paragraph (2) there shall be added the following paragraph— 3 This regulation shall not apply to practice staff. Amendment to regulation 15 of the principal Regulations (Early retirement pension (employer’s consent)) 5 In regulation 15 of the principal Regulations after paragraph (2) there shall be added the following paragraph— 3 This regulation shall not apply to practice staff. Amendment to regulation 62A of the principal Regulations (Transfers in respect of members to whom regulation 9A applies who elect to join or rejoin the scheme) 6 In regulation 62A(2) of the principal Regulations after the words “transfers that are not made under the Public Sector Transfer Arrangements” there shall be inserted the word “and”. Amendment to regulation 78 of the principal Regulations (Part-time employment) 7 In regulation 78 of the principal Regulations after paragraph (4) there shall be inserted the following paragraph— 4A In paragraph (4) a “single comparable whole-time employment” means the number of hours, half-days or sessions which the Department determines would constitute single comparable whole-time employment. . Amendment to Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations (Medical and Dental Practitioners) 8 In Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations, in paragraph 1— a in the definition of “assistant practitioner” for the words “and the Agency is required;” there shall be substituted— or who is participating in the Doctors' Retainer Scheme; ; and b after the definition of “associate general practitioner” there shall be inserted the following definition— “Doctors' Retainer Scheme” has the same meaning as given in paragraph 39 of the Statement published in accordance with regulation 32 of the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical and Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1973 ; . Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health and Social Services on John McGrath Assistant Secretary 26th August 1997. The Department of Finance and Personnel hereby consents to the foregoing Regulations. Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on Dorothy Angus Assistant Secretary 26th August 1997.