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All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 1054 contributions
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Meeting date: 6 June 2023
Jeremy Balfour
That does not cover all situations, however. For example, I could have a trust as a person with a physical disability. If the person who is the trustee loses capacity for whatever reason and I lose capacity at the same time, how will the trust run if nobody else has been appointed? How will my payments be made?
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Meeting date: 6 June 2023
Jeremy Balfour
I move to section 61 of the bill, which gives a power to the beneficiaries, and others, to apply to the court to alter the trust purposes of a family trust where there is a material change in circumstances. Section 61 sets out the default position that that power cannot be used for 25 years. Most, though not all, of those who expressed a view to the committee thought that the 25-year period was too long. How did you arrive at the period of 25 years and, having heard the evidence, are you persuaded that that is still the right period?
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Meeting date: 6 June 2023
Jeremy Balfour
STEP Scotland was also critical of a further requirement to be met before the court power could be used, which is that the person who set up the trust must now be dead. Does the Scottish Government still think that that requirement should be in section 61? What was the rationale for that provision?
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Meeting date: 6 June 2023
Jeremy Balfour
I thought that that power was new to OSCR, but I will go and check that out. Your answer is helpful.
What do you make of the interaction between the two bills? Do you think that there needs to be any more clarification of how the two bills will work together?
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Meeting date: 6 June 2023
Jeremy Balfour
I suppose that I am trying to push at whether we believe that, as a principle in law, there should ever be only a sole trustee in a trust. Does the Government have a view on that? Do you agree that trusts should have more than one trustee?
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Meeting date: 6 June 2023
Jeremy Balfour
In the evidence that we have heard, particularly last week, there seemed to be some confusion with regard to the different types of trusts, as we have discussed already. Obviously, the Scottish Law Commission did not consider that, but has the Government considered trying to define a bit more clearly the different types of trust and how they work in practice? Indeed, we heard evidence from an individual with quite a lot of expertise in being a trustee, and she was not sure where one of the trusts that she is dealing with at the moment would fit into the bill. Has any thought been given to trying to define different forms of trusts, and if not, why not?
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Meeting date: 6 June 2023
Jeremy Balfour
To follow up on that issue, what would be the disadvantage of allowing the trustees to decide whether to go to the Court of Session or to a sheriff court? I presume that the trustees would take legal advice, and their lawyers could advise them of the best option. What would be the disadvantage of letting the trust make that decision, instead of its having to go down a certain route?
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Meeting date: 6 June 2023
Jeremy Balfour
Thank you.
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Meeting date: 6 June 2023
Jeremy Balfour
With respect, minister, that does not really answer the question. There is the issue of who has jurisdiction if OSCR seeks to appoint and the court seeks to appoint. Does the court overrule OSCR or does OSCR overrule the court?
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Meeting date: 6 June 2023
Jeremy Balfour
I am not asking about the SLC. I am asking whether the Scottish Government has a view on that.