Scottish Government

This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007

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Scottish Charities Nominee second Annual Report

28/11/1997

The Scottish Charities Nominee has now uncovered 289 dormant accounts involving £31,040 according to his second annual report published today.

Mr Robin Bell, the Scottish Charities Nominee, said that the great majority of accounts discovered so far are not held for defunct charities but for charities which are still in operation. These charities have now been reunited with £24,375 by the financial institutions under voluntary arrangements negotiated by Mr Bell. He has not yet had the opportunity of reallocating dormant funds from a defunct charity to another charity. Mr Bell is still investigating a further 102 accounts, involving £30,467.

Mr Bell's task is to search for accounts which belong to charities and which are dormant (ie they have not been used for ten years). He may either reunite the charity with its funds or, if the charity is itself defunct, he can assign the money to another charity.

He has made a thorough search covering all banks, building societies and other deposit taking institutions operating in Scotland. The great majority have co-operated with him and have searched their customer databases for dormant accounts.

BACKGROUND

1. The Scottish Charities Nominee was established in the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions)(Scotland) Act 1990. The procedure to be followed was laid down in the Charities (Dormant Accounts) (Scotland) Regulations 1995, which were amended in May 1997 by the Charities (Dormant Accounts) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1997.

2. Mr J R S Bell, WS, was appointed to be the Scottish Charities Nominee in September 1995 and was reappointed for a further period of two years from September 1, 1997.

3. Mr Bell's task is to track down dormant bank and building society account of Scottish charities, and to allocate any moneys found to current charitable purposes. Financial institutions are permitted to provide him with relevant information about dormant accounts which appear to be in the name of recognised bodies ("Scottish charities"). An account is dormant if it has not been used for ten years and the financial institution has no knowledge of the identity of any person concerned in the management or control of the charity in whose name or on whose behalf the account is held.

4. Under the terms of the 1990 Act, the Scottish Charities Nominee is obliged to prepare an annual report, and the Secretary of State is required to lay a copy of the Report before both Houses of Parliament. Mr Bell's Annual Report for the year 1996-97 was laid before Parliament on November 27. Public copies may be obtained from Perry Clarke, The Scottish Office Home Department, Spur V1, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh EH11 3XD, Tel: 0131 244 3458.