Statistics showing insolvencies in the third quarter of year ending 31/03/11 are published today, 19 January 2011, by the Accountant in Bankruptcy. Figures are collated to 31 December 2010.
The number of Debt Payment Programmes approved under the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) is also reported.
PERSONAL INSOLVENCIES
Personal insolvency data consists of both bankruptcy and Protected Trust Deed (PTD) figures.
There were 4,583 personal insolvencies in Scotland in the third quarter of 2010/11. This figure represents a decrease of 11 per cent on the previous quarter and a decrease of 19 per cent on the same period in the previous year.
In total there were 2,493 awards of bankruptcy, a 19 per cent decrease on the previous quarter and a decrease of 26 per cent on the same period in the previous year.
The number of Protected Trust Deeds recorded was 2,090 in total, an increase of 1 per cent on the previous quarter and a decrease of 10 per cent on the corresponding quarter of last year.
Chart 1: Insolvencies in Scotland
- 1,933 awards were made as a result of debtor applications to the Accountant in Bankruptcy, a decrease of 13 per cent on the previous quarter and a decrease of 25 per cent on the same quarter last year. Of these, 1,368 were awarded bankruptcy through LILA
- 487 awards resulted from petitions to the courts by creditors, a decrease of 36 per cent on the previous quarter and a decrease of 25 per cent on the same quarter last year
- 73 awards were made as a result of petitions to the court by trustees in a trust deed. This represents a 35 per cent decrease on the previous quarter and a 45 per cent decrease on the same quarter last year
Table 1: Personal Insolvencies by Quarter
Percentage | change | ||||||
Financial Year | 2009/10 | 2010/11 (p2) | 2010/11 | Q3 on: | |||
Q3 | Q4 | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | 2010/11 Q2 | 2009/10 Q3 | |
Awards of Bankruptcy | 3,365 | 3,167 | 3,139 | 3,092 | 2,493 | -19% | -26% |
Breakdown of awards by source | |||||||
Creditor Petitions | 651 | 594 | 562 | 756 | 487 | -36% | -25% |
Trust Deed Petitions | 133 | 90 | 77 | 112 | 73 | -35% | -45% |
Debtor Applications | 2,581 | 2,483 | 2,500 | 2,224 | 1,933 | -13% | -25% |
of which LILA | 1,990 | 1,905 | 1,897 | 1,631 | 1,368 | -16% | -31% |
of which other | 591 | 578 | 603 | 593 | 565 | -5% | -4% |
Protected Trust Deeds | 2,328 | 2,033 | 2,239 | 2,076 | 2,090 | 1% | -10% |
p2 - Figures for 2010/11 will remain provisional until validation following the end of the financial year.
Table 2: Personal Insolvencies by Financial Year
Financial Year | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | |||||
Year to date | |||||||||||
1 Bankruptcies | 5,423 | 5,885 | 6,158 | 14,777 | 13,810 | 8,724 | |||||
2 Protected Trust Deeds | 7,199 | 8,298 | 7,509 | 7,633 | 9,188 | 6,405 | |||||
3 Total Personal Insolvencies | 12,622 | 14,183 | 13,667 | 22,410 | 22,998 | 10,546 |
Note: LILA route to bankruptcy introduced at start of 2008/09 financial year.
DEBTOR APPLICATIONS
The Accountant in Bankruptcy received 1,969 debtor applications for bankruptcy in the third quarter of 2010/11. At the end of the quarter 93 applications were still being processed. During the quarter 110 applications were rejected as the criteria for bankruptcy had not been demonstrated and 48 were returned mainly due to the introduction of a new application form on 15 November 2010.
CASE ADMINISTRATION
In Scotland, a trustee is appointed to administer each bankruptcy. A nominated insolvency practitioner may be appointed as trustee or the Accountant in Bankruptcy may be appointed. For the third quarter of 2010/11 the Accountant in Bankruptcy was appointed trustee in 2,171 cases awarded, representing 87 per cent of bankruptcies for the quarter.
DEBT ARRANGEMENT SCHEME
During the quarter there were 440 Debt Payment Programmes approved, a decrease of 11 per cent on the previous quarter and an increase of 16 per cent on the same quarter in the previous year.
Table 3: Debt Payment Programmes by Quarter
Financial Year | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | Percentage change | 2010/11 Q3 on: | |||
Quarter | Q3 | Q4 | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | 2010/11 Q2 | 2009/10 Q3 |
Debt Payment Programmes under the Debt Arrangement Scheme | 380 | 417 | 494 | 497 | 440 | -11% | 16% |
COMPANY LIQUIDATIONS AND RECEIVERSHIPS
Receiverships and liquidations are of those companies which the Court of Sessions has jurisdiction to wind up, and are recorded in the Register of Insolvencies (RoI).
The Accountant in Bankruptcy received 265 notices of Scottish registered companies becoming insolvent or entering receivership in the third quarter of 2010/11. This figure includes 5 receiverships, 177 compulsory liquidations, 83 creditors voluntary liquidations and 60 members voluntary liquidations.
Accountant in Bankruptcy has reviewed the collection of data for company liquidations. Previously published figures up to and including the third quarter of 2008/09 are based on the registration of notice of the appointment of liquidator, including provisional liquidators. The figures for the fourth quarter of 2008/09 onwards are based on court orders for compulsory liquidations and consequently are a more accurate statement of compulsory liquidations recorded in the RoI. However, the figures for 2009/10 should not be directly compared with the published figures for 2008/09.
Table 4: Company Liquidations and Receiverships
Financial Year | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | Percentage change | 2010/11 Q3 on: | |||
Quarter | Q3 | Q4 | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | 2010/11 Q2 | 2009/10 Q3 |
Receiverships | 3 | 6 | 22 | 16 | 5 | -69% | 67% |
Compulsory Liquidations | 138 | 204 | 210 | 147 | 177 | 20% | 28% |
Creditors' Voluntary Liquidations | 73 | 72 | 72 | 84 | 83 | -1% | 14% |
Total Corporate Insolvencies | 214 | 282 | 304 | 247 | 265 | 7% | 24% |
Members' Voluntary Liquidations | 52 | 37 | 51 | 33 | 60 | 82% | 15% |
Notes
- The new Certified route into bankruptcy commenced on 15 November 2010. For the period until the end of the third quarter of 2010/11, 99 debtors were awarded bankruptcy who would otherwise have been unable to qualify. A revised Debtor Application form was also introduced on 15 November 2010 with a number of changes including an evidence requirement and dispensing with the need to issue Form 17 prior to award through LILA. Providing all information is provided this should speed up the award process and deliver debt relief quicker.
- The Accountant in Bankruptcy supervises all personal insolvencies in Scotland and administers those bankruptcies where appointed. Insolvent individuals in Scotland are subject to bankruptcy (sequestration) or enter Protected Trust Deeds (PTDs) under the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985. The 1985 Act was amended by the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1993 and on 1 April 2008, part 1 of the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Act 2007 came into force making significant changes to some aspects of bankruptcy in Scotland. Changes included the introduction of LILA, a route into bankruptcy for people with low income and low assets. The changes also took a number of processes out of the Scottish Court system, reducing costs and freeing up court time.
- PTDs are voluntary arrangements, where the debtor passes his estate to an insolvency practitioner who arranges to repay part of the debt to creditors on the debtor’s behalf. This is similar to Individual Voluntary Agreements (IVAs) in England and Wales, although there are important differences in the way they are set up and administered.
- The Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) is administered by the Accountant in Bankruptcy. Debt Payment Programmes approved under DAS allow individuals to repay their debts in full over an extended period of time whilst providing protection from enforcement by their creditors and safeguarding their home as long as mortgage payments are maintained. The legislation relating to DAS is contained in the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 and subsequent regulations.
- The Accountant in Bankruptcy is also responsible for receiving, extracting and recording information from certain forms relating to company liquidations and receiverships. The legislation appropriate to liquidations and receiverships is contained in the Insolvency Act 1986 and the Insolvency (Scotland) Rules 1986.
- Details of bankruptcies, PTDs, liquidations and receiverships are found on the register of insolvencies, which is maintained by the Accountant in Bankruptcy. Further information on DAS, including a register of DPPs, is available at www.moneyscotland.gov.uk