01 Identity
Scottish charity record
- OSCR charity number
- SC034372
- Status
- Active
- Regulatory type
- Standard
- Designated religious body
- No
- Geographical spread
- Operations cover all or most of Scotland
- Volunteers
- 1-50 volunteers
- Staff
- 2
- Postcode
- EH1 2LS
OSCR note: This SCIO was incorporated on 03 November 2015 as a result of the conversion of a charitable company (SC247239, Scottish Council on Human Bioethics).
02 Purpose and work
What the charity exists to do
Core Purposes 1. To collect and evaluate evidence and information relating to ethical issues in medicine from which to inform public debate in Scotland. 2. To engage, assist and advise Scottish legislators, fellow professionals and other interested parties with ethical analysis in medicine and comment on these issues. 3. To respond to media interest in Scotland by the release of relevant and reliable information and comment. 4. To encourage Scottish society to engage in ethical discussions of relevant topics in medicine and biology. Activities The Scottish Council on Human Bioethics is active in undertaking research in bioethics in addition to preparing briefing materials and responses for Members of Parliaments and drafting amendments to legislation which have been debated and voted upon. Supporters also contribute to television and radio debates in addition to other media on a range of
Charitable purposes
- the advancement of education
- the advancement of health
- the advancement of citizenship or community development
- the advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation
- the promotion of equality and diversity
- the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage
Beneficiaries
- Children or young people
- Older People
- People with disabilities or health problems
- No specific group, or for the benefit of the community
Activities
- It carries out activities or services itself
Constitutional objectives
The organisation’s charitable purposes are to: - Advance human rights, including: - The engagement with, and the provision of assistance as well as advice to, legislators, fellow professionals and other interested parties with ethical analysis relating to biomedicine. - The promotion of international legal instruments relating to human bioethics. - Advance education in human bioethics in academia, schools and amongst the general public through the provision of appropriate presentations, publications and classes. - Promote equality and diversity for the protection of patients in Scottish society. - Advance health, including the prevention or relief of sickness, disease or human suffering through providing appropriate advice in biomedical ethics. - Encourage relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage. - Advance citizenship or community development, including the promotion of civic responsibility. This will include collecting and evaluating evidence and information relating to ethical issues from which to inform public debate while encouraging Scottish society to engage in ethical discussion of relevant topics in medicine and biology.
03 Annual returns
Income and expenditure history
| Year end | Income | Expenditure | Staff | Return received |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | £36,106 | £37,859 | 2 | 11 September 2025 |
| 31 March 2024 | £33,453 | £35,970 | 2 | 12 September 2024 |
| 31 March 2023 | £36,203 | £39,555 | 2 | 11 October 2023 |
| 31 March 2022 | £31,503 | £31,914 | 2 | 6 October 2022 |
| 31 March 2021 | £64,052 | £28,459 | 2 | 7 December 2021 |
Figures are those reported by the charity and supplied in the OSCR bulk download. Blank facts remain distinct from zero.
04 Contact record
Principal office or trustees address
- Address supplied to OSCR
- 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh
- Website supplied to OSCR
- Not supplied
- Parent charity
- Not supplied
No direct external links on this profile. The official OSCR record and source documentation are available through BritDB’s dedicated source page.
05 Provenance
Source for this profile
© Crown Copyright and database right 2026. Contains information from the Scottish Charity Register supplied by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. BritDB is an independent service and does not claim to be the Scottish Charity Register.