Royal Warrant & Commission Process

Process Steps

1.1 Royal Warrant is received in CAJR. Sometimes you will receive a letter from the commission department at Scottish Government informing us that we can expect a commission, but not always. If you do receive a letter, keep with other letters.

• Log the commission in the "other Registers" spreadsheet: O:\Registration\Public\CAJR\Enquiries\CAJR_Other_Registers_Log_2017.xslx

1.2 Scan the warrant and covering letter and save them to an appropriately named file in the CAJR Fileshare. 

• O:\Registration\Public\CAJR\Chancery\Chancery\Commissions

1.3 Make up a backing sheet for the original commission stating the commission type, name of recipient, Volume number and Commission number. Print and keep with the original warrant. The "live" Warrant etc. can be kept in the box marked "Royal Warrants" in the fire cupboard in 1S-01. Once the commission process is complete, relevant materials will be moved to the first floor cupboard.

• N.B. Volumes are compelted at 250 Folios, i.e. 250 commissions as drafted.
• Backing Sheet Template: O:\Registration\Public\CAJR\Chancery\Chancery\Commissions\commission_backing_2017.docx

1.4 Note receipt in the Commission Index within the CAJR Fileshare.

• O:\Registration\Public\CAJR\Chancery\Chancery\Commission_Indexes\commissions_Log.xls

1.5 Check that the Royal Warrant has been signed by the King.

• If you have any queries relating to the commissions you should contact the office at the Scottish Executive that sent it. This is not a common occurence.

1.6 Commissions:

1.6.1 Convert the scanned Royal Warrant from PDF to Word, per the instructions for ABBYY Finereader.

1.6.2 Open commission template for the appropriate commission style i.e. if for King’s Counsel then use previous QC document and update the relevant text. If there is no suitable template then replace/insert where necessary. You may need to look at previous hard copies which will be in storeroom on the first floor (Commissions Box). If this is required, please scan and convert per the instructions.

1.6.3 Compare template with Royal Warrant, and decide how much information should be copied and pasted from the Royal Warrant into the template, and whether any editing is required.

1.6.4 Copy and paste the relevant information into the commission template.

• The copy and paste process is similar to that used in the Gift process

1.6.5 There will be no date of signing at this time. We will assume that the Keeper will sign, but this is not always the case. If someone else has to sign the designation will need to be changed.

Purchase Orders

1.7 Two separate Purchase Orders (PO) should be raised, the first before we request calligraphy and the second before we request sealing:

1.7.1 The PO number should start 'RE'. The actual PO number is not generated until the Team Leader has authorised the request; the RE number is emailed to the requisitioner. Procurement can be contacted if there is an issue obtaining the RE number.

1.7.2 Please log each of the purchase order numbers in the Commissions Log spreadsheet 

• O:\Registration\Public\CAJR\Chancery\Chancery\Commission_Indexes\commissions_Log.xls

1.7.3 Calligraphy - email PO number (RE number) to lyonoffice@scotland.gsi.gov.uk:

• QC type commissions - £155.00
• Lord lieutenant type commissions - £165.00
• Lord High Commissioner and similar - £175.00

1.7.4 Sealing - email PO number (RE number) for £200.00 to financequeries@nrscotland.gov.uk

1.8 Proof-read the Draft Commission.

1.8.1 Send a copy of the Commission, warrant, and PO ref (RE no. and fee, see 1.7 above) via email to the Lyon Court at lyonoffice@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

1.8.2 If there are any queries or observations regarding the Commission, it will normally be the LL Office that contacts you via email. Once the Lyon Court are satisfied, they will contact you with a signing date.

1.9 Once you have a date of signing, contact the RoS Secretariat by email on rossecretariat@ros.gov.uk to confirm this signing date is acceptable for the Keeper (or other signatory). Once you have confirmed the date with the Lord Lyon office then the calligrapher will add this to the Commission.

1.9.1 It is advisable to inform the NRS Conservation Department at the National Archives that there are pending Commissions, as they need to plan their workload.

1.10 The Lyon Court will contact RoS when the Commission is ready for collection and we can arrange for Carillion to collect.

• Remember to take a large black portfolio folder (these are kept in the locked cupboard on the first floor), as they only wrap it in paper and it could get damaged.

1.10.1 Update the draft Commission with the appropriate detials, and log it in the Commissions Log spreadsheet:

• O:\Registration\Public\CAJR\Chancery\Chancery\Commission_Indexes\commissions_Log.xls

1.11 Once collected from the Lord Lyon and signed by the Keeper, email the NRS Conservation Department, National Archives at Thomas Thomson House, 99 Bankhead Crossway North, Sighthill, Edinburgh, EH11 4DX to inform them when they can expect to receive the commission for sealing.

1.11.1 Sealing - Email PO number (RE No.) for £200 to the finance department of NRS (as noted at 1.7.4 above).

1.12 When the commission is returned from NRS, ensure the contents are as they should be, i.e. seal/vellum is not damaged, then ask the SO1 team to wrap in bubble wrap, brown paper and label correctly for delivery.

• Bubble wrap and brown paper can by found either in 0S-01 or in the first floor cupboard.

1.13 Contact Carillion to arrange delivery by courier.

1.13.1 Carillion now require a telephone number for the recipient (unless delivery is to a public building or QC Chambers etc.); if this is not available, contact the submitting office in the first instance.

1.14 Raise invoice(s) for the Commissions and use this to address the package / envelope. 

1.14.1 Ensure that the invoices are entered into the CAJR cashbook located in the CAJR Fileshare.

1.14.2 Some invoices are sent to recipients however, for Lords-Lieutenant, a PO (for £630) has to be raised by emailing the Honours Team at the Scottish Government using protocolandhonours@gov.scot specifying which area the Lord-Lieutenant’s commission is for. The PO number is then used in the invoice raised by RoS and the invoice and commission are sent to: "Invoicing Team, Accounts Payable, Scottish Government, 3B North, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ."

1.15 File correspondence etc. appropriately (in first floor cupboard). The box in the fire safe should contain only "live" Commissions and backing sheets.