Question reference: S6W-25104
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 1 February 2024
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Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 February 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to reduce the average processing times for power of attorney applications.
Answer
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is part of the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS). As such, operational decisions regarding power of attorney applications are the responsibility of SCTS under the leadership of its independent board headed by the Lord President.
The Scottish Government has provided SCTS with additional funding since 2021 to support OPG recovery and further additional funding last year to support the replacement of the Office of the Public Guardian IT system.
Work on the new OPG IT system, which is expected to reduce processing times for power of attorney applications, is progressing as planned and it is expected that the first phase of the work will be completed this year.
The Scottish Government typically meets OPG once every 3-6 months to discuss ongoing business matters, including registration of powers of attorney.