Question reference: S6W-18504
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 2 June 2023
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Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 13 June 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support and remedies are available in Scotland for people who cannot get their powers of attorneys, that have been arranged in Scotland, recognised in other parts of the UK, and what additional steps the Scottish Government is taking to address this.
Answer
In Scotland the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) Scotland is responsible for registering all power of attorney documents. If an individual has experienced any issues involving the recognition of a Scottish power of attorney in other parts of the UK they can contact the OPG for assistance.
There is already legislation in place that provides recognition of Scottish powers of attorney in England and Wales. This is about ensuring that the institutions and organisations have awareness and are educated on the legal status of Scottish powers of attorney.
The Scottish Government will be working with third party organisations to raise awareness and publicity about the validity of Scottish powers of attorney in England and Wales.