Other provisions
37Acts of Union
The [1706 c. 11.] Union with Scotland Act 1706 and the [1707 c. 7(S).] Union with England Act 1707 have effect subject to this Act.
38Letters Patent and proclamations
(1)The Keeper of the Registers of Scotland shall record in the Register of the Great Seal—
(a)all Letters Patent signed with Her Majesty’s own hand signifying Her Assent to a Bill passed by the Parliament, and
(b)all royal proclamations under sections 2(5) and 3(2),
which have passed under the Scottish Seal.
(2)On recording such Letters Patent he shall intimate the date of recording to the Clerk.
(3)Her Majesty may by Order in Council make provision as to—
(a)the form and manner of preparation, and
(b)the publication,
of such Letters Patent and proclamations.
(4)If the First Minister so directs, impressions with the same device as the Scottish Seal shall be taken in such manner, of such size and on such material as is specified in the direction.
(5)Each such impression—
(a)shall be known as a Wafer Scottish Seal, and
(b)shall be kept in accordance with directions of the First Minister.
(6)If a Wafer Scottish Seal has been applied to Letters Patent or a proclamation mentioned in subsection (1), the document has the same validity as if it had passed under the Scottish Seal.
39Members' interests
(1)Provision shall be made for a register of interests of members of the Parliament and for the register to be published and made available for public inspection.
(2)Provision shall be made—
(a)requiring members of the Parliament to register in that register financial interests (including benefits in kind), as defined for the purposes of this paragraph,
(b)requiring that any member of the Parliament who has a financial interest (including benefits in kind), as defined for the purposes of this paragraph, in any matter declares that interest before taking part in any proceedings of the Parliament relating to that matter.
(3)Provision made in pursuance of subsection (2) shall include any provision which the Parliament considers appropriate for preventing or restricting the participation in proceedings of the Parliament of a member with an interest defined for the purposes of subsection (2)(a) or (b) in a matter to which the proceedings relate.
(4)Provision shall be made prohibiting a member of the Parliament from—
(a)advocating or initiating any cause or matter on behalf of any person, by any means specified in the provision, in consideration of any payment or benefit in kind of a description so specified, or
(b)urging, in consideration of any such payment or benefit in kind, any other member of the Parliament to advocate or initiate any cause or matter on behalf of any person by any such means.
(5)Provision made in pursuance of subsections (2) to (4) shall include any provision which the Parliament considers appropriate for excluding from proceedings of the Parliament any member who fails to comply with, or contravenes, any provision made in pursuance of those subsections.
(6)Any member of the Parliament who—
(a)takes part in any proceedings of the Parliament without having complied with, or in contravention of, any provision made in pursuance of subsection (2) or (3), or
(b)contravenes any provision made in pursuance of subsection (4),
is guilty of an offence.
(7)A person guilty of an offence under subsection (6) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.
(8)In this section—
(a)“provision” means provision made by or under an Act of the Scottish Parliament,
(b)references to members of the Parliament include references to the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General for Scotland, whether or not they are such members.