General Purpose
34.The purpose of this section is to put in place financial arrangements for the Registers of Scotland (the Department of the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland) having broadly the same effect as the Trading Fund arrangements under which it currently operates. The Registers of Scotland Executive Agency Trading Fund was established in 1996 by an Order under the Government Trading Funds Act 1973 (the Register of Scotland Executive Agency Trading Fund Order 1996 (S.I. 1996/1004)). The Trading Fund is continued in existence until 31 March 2000 by transitional provisions put in place under the Scotland Act (see article 22 of the Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions)(Finance) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/441)). Under the arrangements in this section the Keeper will be authorised to keep and apply the income from fees (although the level of the fees will be controlled by the Scottish Ministers under existing legislation). The Scottish Ministers will be able to supply capital to the Keeper, either by loan or by the issue of public dividend capital (broadly equivalent to equity finance). The Keeper will be put under a financial duty by the Scottish Ministers (currently a 6% return on net assets).