Interests of Members of the Scottish Parliament Act 2006

19 Interpretation

(1) In this Act—

• “the 1985 Act” means the Companies Act 1985 (c. 6);

• “the 1998 Act” means the Scotland Act 1998 (c. 46);

• “the 1999 Order” means the Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Members' Interests) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/1350);

• “ceased interest” shall be construed in accordance with section 8(1);

• “civil partner” in relation to a member does not include a former civil partner or a civil partner who is living separately and apart from the member where the separation is likely to be permanent;

• “the Clerk” means the Clerk of the Parliament;

• “cohabitant” means either member of a couple consisting of—

  (a)

  a man and a woman who are living together as if they were husband and wife; or

  (b)

  two persons of the same sex who are living together as if they were civil partners;

• “company” means a company within the meaning of the 1985 Act;

• “declarable interest” shall be construed in accordance with section 12(1);

• “declarable financial interest” shall be construed in accordance with section 12(2);

• “financial interest” includes benefits in kind;

• “heritable property” includes any right or interest in heritable property whether in Scotland or elsewhere;

• “member” means a member of the Scottish Parliament and, subject to section 18, includes a Scottish Law Officer where that officer is not a member of the Parliament;

• “member’s salary” means the gross annual salary of a member as a member;

• “old entries” shall be construed in accordance with section 10(3);

• “parent undertaking” has the same meaning as in section 258 of the 1985 Act;

• “parliamentary session” means the period from the date of the first meeting of the Parliament following a general election until the Parliament is dissolved;

• “prejudice test” shall be construed in accordance with section 3(2);

• “the register” means the Register of Interests of Members of the Scottish Parliament established under section 1(1) and associated words shall be construed accordingly;

• “registrable interest” shall be construed in accordance with section 2(1);

• “registrable financial interest” shall be construed in accordance with section 2(2) and the schedule;

• “remuneration” includes any salary, wage, share of profits, fee, expenses, other monetary benefit or benefit in kind;

• “Scottish Law Officer” means the Lord Advocate or the Solicitor General for Scotland;

• “shares” includes stock;

• “spouse” in relation to a member does not include a former spouse or a spouse who is living separately and apart from the member where the separation is likely to be permanent;

• “subsidiary undertaking” has the same meaning as in section 258 of the 1985 Act; and

• “undertaking”, except in paragraph 2(f) of the schedule, has the same meaning as in section 259 of the 1985 Act.

(2) Any reference in this Act to—

(a) an interest meeting the prejudice test shall be construed in accordance with section 3(2); or

(b) lodging a written statement with the Clerk shall be construed in accordance with section 4.

(3) For the purposes of this Act, a member has registered an interest in the register if—

(a) that member has lodged with the Clerk a written statement in accordance with section 3, 5, 6 or 7, irrespective of whether or not the Clerk has registered that statement; and

(b) that member has not lodged with the Clerk a written notice under section 8 indicating that the interest is a ceased interest,

and any reference in this Act to an interest being registered shall be construed accordingly.