Scottish Executive
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Government is the executive
arm of the devolved government
of Scotland
. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office
, and the term Scottish Executive (or Administration) remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998
. Following the 2007 Scottish Parliament election
, the term Executive was changed to Government by the Scottish National Party
administration in 2007. The Scotland Bill (2011) contains a clause which, if the Bill passes into law, will makes this change legal in statute.
to the United Kingdom Parliament at Westminster
by Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998; such devolved matters include NHS Scotland
, education
, justice
and policing, rural affairs, economic development and transport
.
The Scottish Government has the responsibility for an annual budget of more than £
27 billion in the financial year 2005-2006, rising to more than £30 billion in 2007-2008.
The Government is led by the First Minister
. The Scottish Parliament
nominates one of its Members to be appointed as First Minister by the Queen. He is assisted by various Cabinet Secretaries (Ministers) with individual portfolio
s and remits, who are appointed by him with the approval of Parliament. Junior Scottish Ministers are similarly appointed to assist Cabinet Secretaries in their work. The Scottish Law Officers, the Lord Advocate
and Solicitor General
can be appointed from outside the Parliament's membership, but are subject to its approval. The First Minister, the Cabinet Secretaries and the Scottish Law Officers are the Members of the Scottish Government. They are collectively known as the "Scottish Ministers".
The members of the Government have substantial influence over legislation in Scotland, putting forward the majority of Bills that are successful in becoming Acts of the Scottish Parliament.
Since 2007, the Scottish Government has been formed by the Scottish National Party
who are the largest party in the Scottish Parliament
, although prior to 2011 they did not possess an overall majority
. In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the Scottish National Party won the first overall majority in the history of the Scottish Parliament. The current First Minister is Alex Salmond
.
(SNP) after their election victory in May 2007 differs from the previous Administration. The nomenclature of Cabinet Secretary has been introduced. The Cabinet Secretaries and junior Ministers are:
The Scottish Cabinet
normally meets weekly on Tuesday afternoons in Bute House
, the official residence
of the First Minister
. It is the supreme collective decision-making body of the Scottish Government. The Cabinet consists of the Scottish Ministers (Cabinet Secretaries), excluding the Scottish Law Officers (the Lord Advocate
and the Solicitor General
). The Lord Advocate attends meetings of the Cabinet only when requested by the First Minister, and he is not formally a member.
The Cabinet is supported by the Cabinet Secretariat, which is based at St Andrew's House.
in Edinburgh
. Some other Government departments are based at Victoria Quay
in Leith
, Pentland House in Gorgie
, Saughton House on Broomhouse Drive and Atlantic Quay on Broomielaw, Glasgow. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has its head offices, and the Lord Advocate's Chambers, at Chambers Street
in central Edinburgh.
There are numerous other Edinburgh properties occupied by the Scottish Government. Security Branch is based in the old Governor's House on the site of the former Calton Gaol, next door to St Andrew's House on Regent Road. The Government Car Service for Scotland also has its Edinburgh offices on Bonnington Road, in Leith. Other offices are scattered around central Edinburgh, including Bute House on Charlotte Square, the official residence of the First Minister.
New St Andrew's House, behind Edinburgh's St. James' Centre, was once a large Scottish Office building, which was occupied from 1973 until 1997, when the last remaining staff moved to Victoria Quay.
The Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department
is located in central Glasgow
, and the Government has other offices across Scotland. The First Minister has use of the Scotland Office building, Dover House
in Whitehall
when necessary.
The Scottish Government has a European Union
representative office, located at Rond-Point Robert Schuman in Brussels
, Belgium
, which forms a part of the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union. The Scottish Government also maintains an office within the British Embassy in Washington, DC, and has accredited representatives within the British Embassy in Beijing.
supporting Scottish Ministers. According to the most recent (2006) reports, there are 15,263 civil servants working in core Scottish Government departments and agencies. The civil service is a matter reserved to the United Kingdom Parliament (rather than devolved to Holyrood
): Scottish Government civil servants work within the rules and customs of the United Kingdom civil service, but "owe their loyalty to the devolved administration rather than the UK government".
supports the First Minister
and the Cabinet
. The current incumbent is Sir Peter Housden
who took over from Sir John Elvidge
in July 2010, who in turn took over from Sir Muir Russell
in 2003. Sir Peter Housden is the most senior civil servant in Scotland and heads the Strategic Board of the Scottish Government.
The Permanent Secretary is a member of the Home Civil Service, and therefore takes part in the Permanent Secretaries Management Group of the UK Civil Service and is answerable to the most senior civil servant in the UK, the Cabinet Secretary
, for his professional conduct. He remains, however, at the direction of the Scottish Ministers.
Supporting these directorates are a variety of other corporate service teams and professional groups.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
provides the independent public prosecution service
for Scotland, and is a Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government. The department is headed by the Lord Advocate
, who under the Scottish legal system
is responsible for prosecution, along with the area Procurators fiscal.
' for the organisation. It consists of the Permanent Secretary along with the five Director-Generals, the Chief Scientific Officer, the Chief Economic Adviser and three non Executive Directors. The Board is responsible for overseeing the achievement of the Government's five strategic objectives listed below.
In 2007, the Scottish Government set for itself an overall purpose:
Each Director General leads the task on delivering one of the Government's strategic objectives, resulting from this purpose:
and Transport Scotland
. Executive agencies are staffed by civil servants.
There are two non-Ministerial departments that form part of the Scottish Administration, and therefore the devolved administration, but answer directly to the Scottish Parliament rather than to Ministers: these are the General Register Office for Scotland
and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
.
. These include executive NDPBs (e.g. Scottish Enterprise
); advisory NDPBs (e.g. the Scottish Law Commission
); tribunal
s (e.g. the Children’s Panel and Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland); and nationalised industries (e.g. Scottish Water
). These are staffed by public servants, rather than civil servants.
The Scottish Government is also responsible for some other public bodies that are not classed as non-departmental public bodies, such as NHS Boards
, Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments or HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland.
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In January 2001, the then First Minister Henry McLeish
suggested changing the official name of the executive arm from "Scottish Executive" to "Scottish Government". The reaction from the UK Government and from some Labour Party
members and Scottish Labour MPs was allegedly hostile. This reaction was in contrast to a 2001 public survey by then-Labour chief whip Tom McCabe
, which showed that only 29% of the Scottish public wanted the title Scottish Executive to remain.
Scottish politicians, including the Labour First Minister, had often referred to the Executive as the "government" and this trend increased following the 2007 election, when politicians from throughout the political spectrum referred to the new administration as the "Scottish government". On 2 September 2007, the government announced that the Scottish Executive was to be re-branded as the "Scottish Government".
The renaming was decided unilaterally by the minority government; as a consequence, the SNP was criticised by the three Unionist opposition parties for acting without allowing for parliamentary scrutiny, debate or approval of their plan. However, the term "Scottish Government" has become common usage by all such parties.
"Scottish Executive" remains the legal name according to the wording of section 44(1) of the Scotland Act 1998
. Neither the Scottish Executive nor the Scottish Parliament are able to change the legal name by themselves, as this will require the UK Parliament
to pass an amendment to the Scotland Act. Clause 15 of the Scotland Bill 2010-11 will, if passed, formally change the name of the Executive to the "Scottish Government".
The UK Government has, in the vast majority of cases, adopted the new term of "Government", while in some cases using the phrase "Scottish Administration". The official Gaelic title, "Riaghaltas na h-Alba" has always meant "Government of Scotland".
At the same time that the Scottish Government began to use its new name, a new emblem was adopted. The earlier version featured the old name and a version of the Royal Arms for Scotland, but without the motto
, the helm
, the mantling
, the crest
, the war-cry above the crest, or the flags of Scotland
and England
carried by the supporters
. In the rendering used, both supporters appeared to be crowned with the Crown of Scotland
, whereas in the Royal Arms, the Scottish unicorn
is usually shown crowned with the Scottish Crown, and the English lion with St Edward's Crown.
In the September 2007 rebranding, this depiction of the Royal Arms
was replaced by one of the Flag of Scotland
. However, the Royal Arms are still used by the Government for some official documents, such as directions issued in exercise of powers provided by legislation.
:Category:Defunct departments of the Scottish Government
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
arm of the devolved government
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office
Scottish Office
The Scottish Office was a department of the United Kingdom Government from 1885 until 1999, exercising a wide range of government functions in relation to Scotland under the control of the Secretary of State for Scotland...
, and the term Scottish Executive (or Administration) remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998
Scotland Act 1998
The Scotland Act 1998 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is the Act which established the devolved Scottish Parliament.The Act will be amended by the Scotland Bill 2011, if and when it receives royal assent.-History:...
. Following the 2007 Scottish Parliament election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
, the term Executive was changed to Government by the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
administration in 2007. The Scotland Bill (2011) contains a clause which, if the Bill passes into law, will makes this change legal in statute.
Executive arm of government
The Scottish Government is responsible in Scotland for all issues that are not explicitly reservedReserved matters
In the United Kingdom reserved matters and excepted matters are the areas of government policy where Parliament had kept the power to make laws in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales....
to the United Kingdom Parliament at Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
by Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998; such devolved matters include NHS Scotland
NHS Scotland
NHS Scotland is the publicly funded healthcare system of Scotland. Although they are separate bodies the organisational separation between NHS Scotland and the other three healthcare organisations each commonly called the National Health Service in the United Kingdom tends to be hidden from its...
, education
Education in Scotland
Scotland has a long history of universal provision of public education, and the Scottish education system is distinctly different from the other countries of the United Kingdom...
, justice
Scots law
Scots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is considered a hybrid or mixed legal system as it traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. With English law and Northern Irish law it forms the legal system of the United Kingdom; it shares with the two other systems some...
and policing, rural affairs, economic development and transport
Transport in Scotland
The transport system in Scotland is generally well-developed. The Scottish Parliament has control over most elements of transport policy within Scotland and the Scottish Government's Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department is responsible for the Scottish transport network with...
.
The Scottish Government has the responsibility for an annual budget of more than £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
27 billion in the financial year 2005-2006, rising to more than £30 billion in 2007-2008.
The Government is led by the First Minister
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
. The Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
nominates one of its Members to be appointed as First Minister by the Queen. He is assisted by various Cabinet Secretaries (Ministers) with individual portfolio
Ministry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
s and remits, who are appointed by him with the approval of Parliament. Junior Scottish Ministers are similarly appointed to assist Cabinet Secretaries in their work. The Scottish Law Officers, the Lord Advocate
Lord Advocate
Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
and Solicitor General
Solicitor General for Scotland
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Government on Scots Law...
can be appointed from outside the Parliament's membership, but are subject to its approval. The First Minister, the Cabinet Secretaries and the Scottish Law Officers are the Members of the Scottish Government. They are collectively known as the "Scottish Ministers".
The members of the Government have substantial influence over legislation in Scotland, putting forward the majority of Bills that are successful in becoming Acts of the Scottish Parliament.
Since 2007, the Scottish Government has been formed by the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
who are the largest party in the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, although prior to 2011 they did not possess an overall majority
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
. In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the Scottish National Party won the first overall majority in the history of the Scottish Parliament. The current First Minister is Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
.
Ministers
The structure of the ministerial team used by the Scottish National PartyScottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) after their election victory in May 2007 differs from the previous Administration. The nomenclature of Cabinet Secretary has been introduced. The Cabinet Secretaries and junior Ministers are:
| Portfolio | Minister |
|---|---|
| First Minister First Minister of Scotland The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy... |
Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP Alex Salmond Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon... |
| Deputy First Minister Deputy First Minister of Scotland The Deputy First Minister of Scotland is the deputy to the First Minister of Scotland.The post is not recognised in statute , and its holder is simply an ordinary member of the Scottish Government... Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy |
Nicola Sturgeon MSP Nicola Sturgeon Nicola Sturgeon is the Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party and Member for Glasgow Southside.... |
| Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth | John Swinney MSP John Swinney John Ramsey Swinney is the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire North, having previously represented North Tayside... |
| Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment The Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment is a cabinet post in the Scottish Government created in 2011, with responsbilities for Scottish Water, procurement, European Structural Funds, Scottish Futures Trust, transport policy and delivery, public transport, road, rail... |
Alex Neil MSP |
| Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning is a position in the Scottish Government cabinet responsible for the Education department... |
Mike Russell MSP |
| Cabinet Secretary for Justice | Kenny MacAskill MSP Kenny MacAskill Kenneth "Kenny" Wright MacAskill is the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Eastern, formerly Edinburgh East and Musselburgh since 2007... |
| Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment is a position in the Scottish Government cabinet responsible for the Environment and Rural Affairs department. The Cabinet Secretary responsibilities include agriculture, fisheries, environment as well as land reform and sustainable... |
Richard Lochhead MSP Richard Lochhead Richard Neilson Lochhead is the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Moray.-Background and early career:... |
| Cabinet Secretary for Parliament and Government Strategy | Bruce Crawford MSP Bruce Crawford Bruce Crawford is the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Parliamentary Business and Government Strategy in the Scottish Government and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Stirling.-Background:... |
| Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs | Fiona Hyslop MSP Fiona Hyslop Fiona Hyslop is the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Linlithgow.-Family life and background:... |
| Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism | Fergus Ewing MSP Fergus Ewing Fergus Ewing is the Scottish Government's Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Inverness and Nairn.- Background :... |
| Minister for Local Government and Planning | Aileen Campbell MSP |
| Minister for Housing and Transport | Keith Brown MSP Keith Brown (politician) Keith Brown is a Scottish politician and currently the Minister for Housing and Transport in the Scottish Government. As a member of the Scottish National Party , he was elected to the Scottish Parliament to represent the Ochil constituency at the 2007 election... |
| Minister for Learning and Skills | Alasdair Allan MSP Alasdair Allan Dr Alasdair Allan is the Scottish Government's Minister for Learning and Skills and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Na h-Eileanan an Iar.-Career:... |
| Minister for Children and Young People | Angela Constance MSP Angela Constance Angela Constance is the Scottish Government Minister for Children and Young People and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Almond Valley since 2007.... |
| Minister for Public Health | Michael Matheson MSP Michael Matheson Michael Matheson is the Public Health Minister in the Scottish Government. He has been an SNP Member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, first representing Central Scotland and, since 2007, the Falkirk West constituency.... |
| Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport | Shona Robison MSP Shona Robison Shona Robison is a Member of the Scottish Parliament for Dundee East. She was elected as a Scottish National Party candidate in the 2003 election... |
| Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs | Roseanna Cunningham MSP Roseanna Cunningham Roseanna Cunningham is the Scottish Government's Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, having previously represented Perth.-Early life:Raised in Australia, she returned to Scotland and... |
| Minister for Parliamentary Business and Chief Whip Minister for Parliamentary Business and Chief Whip The Minister for Parliamentary Business and Chief Whip is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government whose job it is to steer government business through the Scottish Parliament. It is currently held by Brian Adam MSP of the Scottish National Party... |
Brian Adam MSP Brian Adam Brian Adam is the Scottish Government Minister for Parliamentary Business and Chief Whip and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen Donside constituency.... |
| Minister for Environment and Climate Change | Stewart Stevenson MSP Stewart Stevenson Stewart Stevenson is a Scottish politician who became a member of the Scottish Parliament in 2001.... |
| Lord Advocate Lord Advocate Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament... |
Frank Mulholland QC Frank Mulholland Frank Mulholland QC is a Scottish lawyer and has been Lord Advocate, one of the Great Officers of State of Scotland and the country's chief Law Officer, since 19 May 2011, having previously been Solicitor General, the junior Law Officer... |
| Solicitor General for Scotland Solicitor General for Scotland Her Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Government on Scots Law... |
Lesley Thomson Lesley Thomson Lesley Thomson is the Solicitor General for Scotland, one of the two law officers of the Scottish Government.She has 25 years' experience as a prosecutor, including as district procurator fiscal for Selkirk, district procurator fiscal for Edinburgh, and interim area procurator fiscal for Lothian &... |
Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
normally meets weekly on Tuesday afternoons in Bute House
Bute House
Bute House is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland, who is the head of the Scottish Government, the country's devolved government established in 1999...
, the official residence
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...
of the First Minister
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
. It is the supreme collective decision-making body of the Scottish Government. The Cabinet consists of the Scottish Ministers (Cabinet Secretaries), excluding the Scottish Law Officers (the Lord Advocate
Lord Advocate
Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
and the Solicitor General
Solicitor General for Scotland
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Government on Scots Law...
). The Lord Advocate attends meetings of the Cabinet only when requested by the First Minister, and he is not formally a member.
The Cabinet is supported by the Cabinet Secretariat, which is based at St Andrew's House.
Cabinet sub-committees
There are three sub-committees of Cabinet:- Cabinet Sub-Committee on Legislation
- Membership: the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, the Minister for Parliamentary Business, and the Lord Advocate.
- Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) Cabinet Sub-Committee
- Membership: Cabinet Secretary for Justice (Chair), the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and the Lord Advocate.
- Glasgow 2014 Legacy Plan Delivery Group
- Membership: Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (Chair), Minister for Community Safety, Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, Minister for Environment, Minister for Housing and Communities, Minister for Public Health and Sport, Minister for Schools and Skills, and the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change.
Offices
The main headquarters building of the Scottish Government is St Andrew's House, on Calton HillCalton Hill, Edinburgh
Calton Hill is a hill in central Edinburgh, Scotland, just to the east of the New Town. Views of, and from, the hill are often used in photographs and paintings of the city....
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. Some other Government departments are based at Victoria Quay
Victoria Quay
Victoria Quay is a Scottish Government building situated in Leith, Edinburgh. Designed by Robert Matthew Johnson Marshall, construction began in 1993 and the building was officially opened by the Queen on Monday 1 July 1996...
in Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, Pentland House in Gorgie
Gorgie
Gorgie is an area of west Edinburgh, Scotland, located near Murrayfield, Ardmillan and Dalry. It is home to Tynecastle Stadium, home of Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian Football Club, and the North British Distillery, which creates a distinctive odour in parts of the area.The area...
, Saughton House on Broomhouse Drive and Atlantic Quay on Broomielaw, Glasgow. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has its head offices, and the Lord Advocate's Chambers, at Chambers Street
Chambers Street (Edinburgh)
Chambers Street is a street in Edinburgh, Scotland, at south of the Old Town. The street is named after William Chambers of Glenormiston, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh who was the main proponent of the 1867 Edinburgh Improvement Act, which gave permission for the street's construction.-Notable...
in central Edinburgh.
There are numerous other Edinburgh properties occupied by the Scottish Government. Security Branch is based in the old Governor's House on the site of the former Calton Gaol, next door to St Andrew's House on Regent Road. The Government Car Service for Scotland also has its Edinburgh offices on Bonnington Road, in Leith. Other offices are scattered around central Edinburgh, including Bute House on Charlotte Square, the official residence of the First Minister.
New St Andrew's House, behind Edinburgh's St. James' Centre, was once a large Scottish Office building, which was occupied from 1973 until 1997, when the last remaining staff moved to Victoria Quay.
The Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department
Scottish Executive Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department
The Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department was a former Scottish Executive department responsible for economic and industrial development, further and higher education, skills, lifelong learning, energy, transport and digital connectivity until 2007.Philip Rycroft was appointed...
is located in central Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, and the Government has other offices across Scotland. The First Minister has use of the Scotland Office building, Dover House
Dover House
Dover House is a Grade I-listed mansion in Whitehall, and the London headquarters of the Scotland Office. It is on the western side of the street immediately south of Admiralty House...
in Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
when necessary.
The Scottish Government has a European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
representative office, located at Rond-Point Robert Schuman in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, which forms a part of the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union. The Scottish Government also maintains an office within the British Embassy in Washington, DC, and has accredited representatives within the British Embassy in Beijing.
Civil Service
The term Scottish Government also denotes the civil serviceCivil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
supporting Scottish Ministers. According to the most recent (2006) reports, there are 15,263 civil servants working in core Scottish Government departments and agencies. The civil service is a matter reserved to the United Kingdom Parliament (rather than devolved to Holyrood
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
): Scottish Government civil servants work within the rules and customs of the United Kingdom civil service, but "owe their loyalty to the devolved administration rather than the UK government".
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent SecretaryPermanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
supports the First Minister
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
and the Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
. The current incumbent is Sir Peter Housden
Peter Housden
Sir Peter James Housden KCB is Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government since July 2010. He was previously Permanent Secretary of the Department for Communities and Local Government....
who took over from Sir John Elvidge
John Elvidge
Sir John William Elvidge KCB is the former Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government. He was appointed in July 2003, replacing Sir Muir Russell. He retired from the post in June 2010.-Early life:...
in July 2010, who in turn took over from Sir Muir Russell
Muir Russell
Sir Muir Russell KCB DL FRSE is a former civil servant and former Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, and Chairman of the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland.-Early life:...
in 2003. Sir Peter Housden is the most senior civil servant in Scotland and heads the Strategic Board of the Scottish Government.
The Permanent Secretary is a member of the Home Civil Service, and therefore takes part in the Permanent Secretaries Management Group of the UK Civil Service and is answerable to the most senior civil servant in the UK, the Cabinet Secretary
Cabinet Secretary
A Cabinet Secretary is almost always a senior official who provides services and advice to a Cabinet of Ministers. In many countries, the position can have considerably wider functions and powers, including general responsibility for the entire civil service...
, for his professional conduct. He remains, however, at the direction of the Scottish Ministers.
Directorates
In December 2010, the Directorates of the Scottish Government were re-organised, each one being headed by a Director-General (DG) .- Office of the Permanent Secretary
- Scottish Government Learning and Justice DirectoratesScottish Government Learning and Justice DirectoratesThe Scottish Government Learning and Justice Directorates are a group of civil service Directorates in the Scottish Government created by a December 2010 re-organisation....
- Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates
- Scottish Government Enterprise and Environment Directorates
- Scottish Government Finance DirectoratesScottish Government Finance DirectoratesThe Scottish Government Finance Directorates are a group of civil service Directorates in the Scottish Government created by a December 2010 re-organisation....
- Scottish Government Governance and Communities DirectoratesScottish Government Governance and Communities DirectoratesThe Scottish Government Governance & Communities Directorates are a group of civil service Directorates in the Scottish Government created by a December 2010 re-organisation....
Supporting these directorates are a variety of other corporate service teams and professional groups.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service provides the independent public prosecution service for Scotland, and is a Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government. The department is headed by Her Majesty's Lord Advocate, who under the Scottish legal system is responsible for prosecution,...
provides the independent public prosecution service
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
for Scotland, and is a Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government. The department is headed by the Lord Advocate
Lord Advocate
Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
, who under the Scottish legal system
Scots law
Scots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is considered a hybrid or mixed legal system as it traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. With English law and Northern Irish law it forms the legal system of the United Kingdom; it shares with the two other systems some...
is responsible for prosecution, along with the area Procurators fiscal.
Strategic Board
The Strategic Board is the 'top tableBoard of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
' for the organisation. It consists of the Permanent Secretary along with the five Director-Generals, the Chief Scientific Officer, the Chief Economic Adviser and three non Executive Directors. The Board is responsible for overseeing the achievement of the Government's five strategic objectives listed below.
| Occupation | Name |
|---|---|
| Permanent Secretary Permanent Secretary The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis... |
Sir Peter Housden Peter Housden Sir Peter James Housden KCB is Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government since July 2010. He was previously Permanent Secretary of the Department for Communities and Local Government.... |
| Director General Finance | Alyson Stafford |
| Director General Learning and Justice | Leslie Evans |
| Director General Enterprise and Environment | Mike Neilson (Acting) |
| Director-General Health and Social Care and Chief Executive of NHS Scotland NHS Scotland NHS Scotland is the publicly funded healthcare system of Scotland. Although they are separate bodies the organisational separation between NHS Scotland and the other three healthcare organisations each commonly called the National Health Service in the United Kingdom tends to be hidden from its... |
Derek Feeley (Acting) |
| Director-General Governance and Communities | Paul Gray |
| Chief Scientific Officer | Professor Anne Glover |
| Chief Economic Adviser | Dr. Andrew Goudie Andrew Goudie (economist) Andrew William Goudie CB is the Chief Economic Adviser to the Scottish Government.Educated at Queens' College, Cambridge, Cambridge University, he joined the Scottish Office in 1990.... |
| Non-Executive Director | Professor William Bound |
| Non-Executive Director | Sandy Begbie |
| Non-Executive Director | Heather Logan |
In 2007, the Scottish Government set for itself an overall purpose:
- "To focus Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth."
Each Director General leads the task on delivering one of the Government's strategic objectives, resulting from this purpose:
- 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."
Executive agencies
In order to deliver its work, there are 17 Executive Agencies established by Ministers as part of government departments, or as departments in their own right, to carry out a discrete area of work. These include, for example, the Scottish Prison ServiceScottish Prison Service
The Scottish Prison Service is an executive agency of the Scottish Government tasked with managing prisons in Scotland...
and Transport Scotland
Transport Scotland
Transport Scotland was created on 1 January 2006 as the national transport agency of Scotland. It is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government's Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department and accountable to Scottish Ministers...
. Executive agencies are staffed by civil servants.
There are two non-Ministerial departments that form part of the Scottish Administration, and therefore the devolved administration, but answer directly to the Scottish Parliament rather than to Ministers: these are the General Register Office for Scotland
General Register Office for Scotland
The General Register Office for Scotland was a non-ministerial directorate of the Scottish Government that administered the registration of births, deaths, marriages, divorces and adoptions in Scotland. It was also responsible for the statutes relating to the formalities of marriage and conduct...
and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator is a non-ministerial department of the Scottish Government, with responsibility for the regulation of charities in Scotland...
.
Public bodies
The Scottish Government is also responsible for a large number of non-departmental public bodiesScottish public bodies
Public bodies of the Scottish Government are organisations that are funded by the Scottish Government. It includes executive and advisory non-departmental public bodies ; tribunals; and nationalised industries....
. These include executive NDPBs (e.g. Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise is a sponsored non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government which encourages economic development, enterprise, innovation and investment in business...
); advisory NDPBs (e.g. the Scottish Law Commission
Scottish Law Commission
The Scottish Law Commission is Scottish advisory public body established by Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1965 to keep the law of Scotland under review and recommend necessary reforms to improve, simplify and update Scots law. It plays a leading role in developing the law for the people of...
); tribunal
Tribunal
A tribunal in the general sense is any person or institution with the authority to judge, adjudicate on, or determine claims or disputes—whether or not it is called a tribunal in its title....
s (e.g. the Children’s Panel and Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland); and nationalised industries (e.g. Scottish Water
Scottish Water
Scottish Water is a statutory corporation in Scotland that provides water and sewerage services. Unlike in England and Wales, water and sewerage provision in Scotland continues as a public corporation accountable to the public through the Scottish Government....
). These are staffed by public servants, rather than civil servants.
The Scottish Government is also responsible for some other public bodies that are not classed as non-departmental public bodies, such as NHS Boards
NHS Scotland
NHS Scotland is the publicly funded healthcare system of Scotland. Although they are separate bodies the organisational separation between NHS Scotland and the other three healthcare organisations each commonly called the National Health Service in the United Kingdom tends to be hidden from its...
, Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments or HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland.
Change of name
Henry McLeish
Henry Baird McLeish is a Scottish Labour Party politician, author and academic. Formerly a professional association football player, McLeish was the Member of Parliament for Central Fife from 1987 to 2001 and the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Central Fife from 1999 to 2003, during which...
suggested changing the official name of the executive arm from "Scottish Executive" to "Scottish Government". The reaction from the UK Government and from some Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
members and Scottish Labour MPs was allegedly hostile. This reaction was in contrast to a 2001 public survey by then-Labour chief whip Tom McCabe
Tom McCabe
Thomas "Tom" McCabe is a Scottish Labour Party politician, a former Minister for Finance in the Scottish Executive, and was Member of the Scottish Parliament for Hamilton South until May 2011....
, which showed that only 29% of the Scottish public wanted the title Scottish Executive to remain.
Scottish politicians, including the Labour First Minister, had often referred to the Executive as the "government" and this trend increased following the 2007 election, when politicians from throughout the political spectrum referred to the new administration as the "Scottish government". On 2 September 2007, the government announced that the Scottish Executive was to be re-branded as the "Scottish Government".
The renaming was decided unilaterally by the minority government; as a consequence, the SNP was criticised by the three Unionist opposition parties for acting without allowing for parliamentary scrutiny, debate or approval of their plan. However, the term "Scottish Government" has become common usage by all such parties.
"Scottish Executive" remains the legal name according to the wording of section 44(1) of the Scotland Act 1998
Scotland Act 1998
The Scotland Act 1998 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is the Act which established the devolved Scottish Parliament.The Act will be amended by the Scotland Bill 2011, if and when it receives royal assent.-History:...
. Neither the Scottish Executive nor the Scottish Parliament are able to change the legal name by themselves, as this will require the UK Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
to pass an amendment to the Scotland Act. Clause 15 of the Scotland Bill 2010-11 will, if passed, formally change the name of the Executive to the "Scottish Government".
The UK Government has, in the vast majority of cases, adopted the new term of "Government", while in some cases using the phrase "Scottish Administration". The official Gaelic title, "Riaghaltas na h-Alba" has always meant "Government of Scotland".
At the same time that the Scottish Government began to use its new name, a new emblem was adopted. The earlier version featured the old name and a version of the Royal Arms for Scotland, but without the motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
, the helm
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
, the mantling
Mantling
In heraldry, mantling or lambrequin is drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. It forms a backdrop for the shield. In paper heraldry it is a depiction of the protective cloth covering worn by knights from their helmets to stave off the elements, and, secondarily, to decrease the effects of...
, the crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
, the war-cry above the crest, or the flags of Scotland
Flag of Scotland
The Flag of Scotland, , also known as Saint Andrew's Cross or the Saltire, is the national flag of Scotland. As the national flag it is the Saltire, rather than the Royal Standard of Scotland, which is the correct flag for all individuals and corporate bodies to fly in order to demonstrate both...
and England
Flag of England
The Flag of England is the St George's Cross . The red cross appeared as an emblem of England during the Middle Ages and the Crusades and is one of the earliest known emblems representing England...
carried by the supporters
Supporters
In heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects...
. In the rendering used, both supporters appeared to be crowned with the Crown of Scotland
Crown of Scotland
The Crown of Scotland is the crown used at the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland. Remade in its current form for King James V of Scotland in 1540, the crown is part of the Honours of Scotland, the oldest set of Crown Jewels in the United Kingdom...
, whereas in the Royal Arms, the Scottish unicorn
Unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
is usually shown crowned with the Scottish Crown, and the English lion with St Edward's Crown.
In the September 2007 rebranding, this depiction of the Royal Arms
Royal coat of arms of Scotland
The royal coat of arms of Scotland was the official coat of arms of the monarchs of Scotland, and was used as the official coat of arms of the Kingdom of Scotland until the Acts of Union of 1707...
was replaced by one of the Flag of Scotland
Flag of Scotland
The Flag of Scotland, , also known as Saint Andrew's Cross or the Saltire, is the national flag of Scotland. As the national flag it is the Saltire, rather than the Royal Standard of Scotland, which is the correct flag for all individuals and corporate bodies to fly in order to demonstrate both...
. However, the Royal Arms are still used by the Government for some official documents, such as directions issued in exercise of powers provided by legislation.
See also
- Government of ScotlandGovernment of ScotlandPrior to 1707, the Kingdom of Scotland was a sovereign state, governed by the monarch, the privy council, and the parliament. As a result of the Treaty of Union agreed in 1706, the Parliaments of England and Scotland each passed Acts of Union to create the Kingdom of Great Britain.-History:Between...
- Joint Ministerial Committee
- Local income taxLocal income taxThe Scottish Government planned to bring forward legislation to replace the council tax with a local income tax , as part of the funding for Scottish local authorities....
:Category:Defunct departments of the Scottish Government
- Council of Economic Advisers (Scotland)Council of Economic Advisers (Scotland)The Council of Economic Advisers is a group of economists and captains of industry who advise the Scottish Government. It was established in 2007, meeting for the first time on 21 September....
- Scottish Broadcasting CommissionScottish Broadcasting CommissionThe Scottish Broadcasting Commission was established by the Scottish Government in August 2007. Its purpose is to conduct an independent investigation into television production and broadcasting in Scotland, and to define a strategic way forward for the industry...
- Scottish referendum bill 2010
- Scottish Social Attitudes SurveyScottish Social Attitudes SurveyThe Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, started in 1999, is an annual survey of public opinion in Scotland, funded by the public purse.Conducted by the Scottish branch of the National Centre for Social Research, in conjunction with the Unit for the Study of Government in Scotland at the University of...
- United Kingdom budgetUnited Kingdom budgetThe United Kingdom budget deals with HM Treasury budgeting the revenues gathered by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and expenditures of public sector departments, in compliance with government policy.Adjustment is achieved with the GDP deflator....
- Government spending in the United KingdomGovernment spending in the United KingdomCentral government spending in the United Kingdom, also called public expenditure, is the responsibility of the UK government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive...
External links
- Official website
- Directory of Scottish Government websites, Glasgow University Library