King's Printer for Scotland: annual report 2024 to 2025

The role of King's Printer for Scotland

1.1 The role of the King’s Printer for Scotland (KPS)[1] was established under section 92 of the Scotland Act 1998 with effect from 1 July 1999. It is a non-ministerial office and the holder is a member of staff of the Scottish Administration. 

1.2 The Scotland Act states that the office of King’s Printer for Scotland shall be held by the King’s Printer for Acts of Parliament. That office is held by the Keeper of Public Records; the Chief Executive of The National Archives, Saul Edward Nassé, who was appointed as King’s Printer for Acts of Parliament on 30th August 2024 by Letters Patent. The day to day work of the KPS is carried out from within The National Archives. 

1.3 The KPS is responsible for overseeing the publication of primary and secondary Scottish legislation, the production and publication of Explanatory Notes to Acts of the Scottish Parliament (ASPs), and the publication of lists, including amendment lists, and annual editions of instruments. The KPS also publishes Policy Notes for Scottish Statutory Instruments (SSIs). 

1.4 The detailed provisions for the publication and preservation of ASPs are set out in the Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. The Scottish Statutory Instruments Regulations 2011 set out the detailed requirements for SSIs, and was made under that Act.

1.5 Broader issues affecting primary legislation are considered through bi-annual meetings of the Primary Legislation Group, attended by the Scottish Chief Parliamentary Counsel, and the holders of the equivalent role for the UK, Wales and Northern Ireland. These meetings are convened and chaired by the KPS. They are a forum for knowledge sharing and give the KPS a regular opportunity to meet and update the Chief Parliamentary Counsel about the developments to the legislation.gov.uk. 

1.6 The KPS is a Public Authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOI(S)A), and complies with those obligations. The KPS Publication Scheme is available on the Scottish Government website. KPS responds to FOI(S)A access requests and provides data about those requests to the Scottish Information Commissioner.  

1.7 Under the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011, the KPS must have a records management plan, which is subject to periodic scrutiny by the National Records of Scotland.   

Under section 92(3) of the Scotland Act 1998, the King’s Printer manages the Crown’s copyright in respect of ASPs, SSIs and material created by or assigned to the Scottish Government. The KPS has an agreement in place to provide copyright and licensing advice to the Scottish Parliament.

[1] Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II the office of Queen’s Printer for Scotland (and all associated references to the Sovereign) was retitled under section 10 of the Interpretation Act 1978 c. 30