Details of Provisions
Subsection (1) establishes a Scottish Consolidated Fund.
Subsection (2) requires the Secretary of State from time to time to make payments into the Fund out of money provided by Parliament of such amounts as he may determine (i.e. the Parliamentary grant). There is no provision for the Secretary of State to make an order determining the sums to be transferred. Parliamentary approval will be granted by the normal means of approving estimates, through the annual Appropriation Act and the various Consolidated Fund Acts.
Subsection (3) provides, subject to subsection (4), for sums received by an office-holder in the Scottish Administration (as defined in section 126(6)) to be paid into the Fund.
Subsection (4) enables the Parliament, through such provision as may be made by or under an Act of the Scottish Parliament, to authorise the retention of receipts by any office-holder in the Scottish Administration to set against expenditure. This is so as to enable the Scottish Parliament to make equivalent arrangements as apply to the UK Consolidated Fund whereby provision can be made by the UK Parliament for sums to be appropriated in aid of the sum voted. It will also enable the Scottish Parliament to make arrangements for net accounting of receipts in certain circumstances. Such provision was made in the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 (asp 1); section 7 enables receipts to be applied in connection with relevant authorised expenditure and section 9 enables the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland to retain his receipts and apply them towards his expenditure.
Subsection (5) provides that the Treasury may, after consulting with the Scottish Ministers, by order designate receipts of any description specified in the order which are payable into the Fund, as receipts to be paid to the Secretary of State. Further provision about the making of this order is to be found in sections 112 to 115 and Schedule 7.
This power was exercised in making the Scotland Act 1998 (Designation of Receipts) Order 2000 (S.I. 2000/687) which designated, with effect from 1 April 2000, certain receipts for this purpose.
Subsection (6) provides that the Scottish Ministers shall make payments to the Secretary of State at such times and by such methods as the Treasury may from time to time determine, of sums equal to the amount outstanding in respect of designated receipts.
The purpose of subsections (5) and (6) is to ensure that certain receipts (such as interest payments, fines, return on public dividend capital) which are currently paid into the UK Consolidated Fund continue to be paid into that Fund after devolution by the Scottish Ministers, through the Secretary of State.
Subsection (7) provides that amounts required for the payment of sums under subsection (6) shall be charged on the Fund so that they can be paid out without first requiring the approval of the Scottish Parliament.
Subsection (8) provides that the Fund shall be held with the Paymaster General.