Fergusson to donate Presiding Officer pension to charity

Announcing that he would be giving the proceeds of his Presiding Officer pension to charity, former Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson MSP said:

"I fully recognise that the Presiding Officer pension was put in place with an expectation that the retiring Presiding Officer would be stepping down from politics. I also recognise that the rules have now been changed so that no Presiding Officer from now on will receive the Presiding Officer pension until they are in receipt of a normal MSP pension.

"I therefore do not intend to benefit from my pension while I am earning an MSP salary. However, I see no point in the money sitting in a pension fund to the sole benefit of the fund managers when it could be put to good use elsewhere, and I will therefore be donating my pension to charities within my constituency of Galloway & West Dumfries.

"I am currently working with Parliamentary officials on the details of how this will be done through a 'Give As You Earn Scheme' that will be set up by the Parliamentary staff, and administered by the Charities Aid Foundation – a mechanism that will ensure that the charities will also receive the tax that would have been payable on the pension income. I will announce the names of the local charities and the sums of money involved as soon as the final details have been agreed."

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