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Government in Scotland

Government in Scotland

The Scottish Government is the devolved administration for Scotland. It is responsible for most of the issues of day-to-day concern to the people of Scotland, including health, education, justice, environment and rural affairs, and transport.

The work of the Scottish Government is carried out by:

Directorates each headed by a Director General.

Current directorates are grouped under the following headings:


WEALTHIER AND FAIRER

Enable businesses and people to increase their wealth and more people to share fairly in that wealth.

HEALTHIER

Help people to sustain and improve their health, especially in disadvantaged communities, ensuring better, local and faster access to health care.

SAFER AND STRONGER

Help local communities to flourish, becoming stronger, safer place to live, offering improved opportunities and a better quality of life.

SMARTER

Expand opportunities for Scots to succeed from nurture through to life long learning ensuring higher and more widely shared achievements.

GREENER

Improve Scotland's natural and built environment and the sustainable use and enjoyment of it.


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Agencies - were established by Ministers as part of Scottish Government departments (now called directorates), or as departments in their own right, to carry out a discrete area of work. Agencies are staffed by civil servants. Current Scottish Government agencies are:


Accountant in Bankruptcy

Scottish Court Services

Fisheries Research Service

Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency

Historic Scotland

Scottish Housing Regulator

HM Inspectorate of Education

Scottish Prison Service

Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland

Scottish Public Pensions Agency

National Archives of Scotland

Social Work Inspection Agency

Registers of Scotland

Student Awards Agency for Scotland

Scottish Agricultural Science Agency

Transport Scotland


Non-Ministerial Departments - are areas of a government that are not headed by a Minister and answer directly to legislature.


General Register Office for Scotland

Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)


Task Forces - advisory bodies established by Ministers to investigate and report on particular issues. Task Forces have a short lifespan, a maximum of two years, and are abolished once they have reported

……….and Public Bodies

Page updated: Thursday, July 17, 2008