Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD) was a civil service department
of the Scottish Executive
. SEERAD was responsible for the following areas in Scotland
: agriculture
, rural development, food
, the environment
and fisheries
. Following the change of administration in May 2007, a restructuring exercise led to most SEERAD functions being continued under the new Scottish Executive Environment Directorate.
SEERAD was directly responsible for various agencies of the Scottish Executive and other public bodies
relating to these areas of responsibility. From early 2005 the Department was headed by Richard Wakeford. The Minister for Environment and Rural Development was Ross Finnie
and he was assisted by the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development, Sarah Boyack
.
A concordat
set out agreed frameworks for co-operation between it and the United Kingdom government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Many of the functions of SEERAD were subsumed into the Environment Directorate
in 2007.
:
The department sponsored several non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) including:
The department also worked with Scottish Water
.
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...
of the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
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 remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
. SEERAD was responsible for the following areas in 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...
: agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, rural development, food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
, the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
and fisheries
Fishing industry in Scotland
The fishing industry in Scotland comprises a significant proportion of the United Kingdom fishing industry. A recent inquiry by the Royal Society of Edinburgh found fishing to be of much greater social, economic and cultural importance to Scotland than to the rest of the UK. Scotland has just...
. Following the change of administration in May 2007, a restructuring exercise led to most SEERAD functions being continued under the new Scottish Executive Environment Directorate.
SEERAD was directly responsible for various agencies of the Scottish Executive and other public bodies
Scottish 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....
relating to these areas of responsibility. From early 2005 the Department was headed by Richard Wakeford. The Minister for Environment and Rural Development was Ross Finnie
Ross Finnie
Ross Finnie is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and former Member of the Scottish Parliament. He is a former Minister for the Environment and Rural Development in the Scottish Executive, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the West of Scotland region...
and he was assisted by the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development, Sarah Boyack
Sarah Boyack
Sarah Boyack MSP is a Scottish Labour MSP for the Lothian region and formerly constituency MSP for Edinburgh Central in the Scottish Parliament....
.
A concordat
Concordat
A concordat is an agreement between the Holy See of the Catholic Church and a sovereign state on religious matters. Legally, they are international treaties. They often includes both recognition and privileges for the Catholic Church in a particular country...
set out agreed frameworks for co-operation between it and the United Kingdom government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
Many of the functions of SEERAD were subsumed into the Environment Directorate
Environment Directorate
The Scottish Government Rural Affairs, Environment and Services Directorates was a group of civil service Directorates in the Scottish Government until a December 2010 re-organisation.The Environment Directorates reported to the Director-General, Paul Gray....
in 2007.
Structure
The department had three executive agenciesExecutive agency
An executive agency, also known as a next-step agency, is a part of a government department that is treated as managerially and budgetarily separate in order to carry out some part of the executive functions of the United Kingdom government, Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly or Northern Ireland...
:
- Scottish Agricultural Science AgencyScottish Agricultural Science AgencyThe Scottish Agricultural Science Agency was an executive agency of the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department. In 2008 after a review of the public sector in Scotland the agency was 'reabsorbed' into the Scottish Government becoming a division of the Rural Affairs...
, which is responsible for scientific research into agriculture - Fisheries Research ServicesFisheries Research ServicesFisheries Research Services was an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. FRS was responsible for scientific and technical research into the marine and freshwater fisheries and aquaculture, and the protection of the aquatic environment in Scotland. For these purposes, the agency had two...
, which carries out scientific research into the fisheries and aquaculture areas - Scottish Fisheries Protection AgencyScottish Fisheries Protection AgencyThe Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency was an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. The SFPA is responsible for both deterring illegal fishing in Scottish waters, as well as monitoring the compliance of the fisheries industry in Scotland with the relevant Scottish and European Union laws...
, responsible for enforcing fisheries regulations in Scottish waters, and monitoring compliance
The department sponsored several non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) including:
- Crofters Commission
- Deer Commission for ScotlandDeer Commission for ScotlandThe Deer Commission for Scotland was an executive non-departmental body of the Scottish Government. It was responsible for the conservation, control and sustainable management of all species of wild deer in Scotland. It also acted as the Government's advisor on deer related matters.The Commission...
- Royal Botanic Garden EdinburghRoyal Botanic Garden EdinburghThe Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a scientific centre for the study of plants, their diversity and conservation, as well as a popular tourist attraction. Originally founded in 1670 as a physic garden to grow medicinal plants, today it occupies four sites across Scotland — Edinburgh,...
- Scottish Environment Protection AgencyScottish Environment Protection AgencyThe Scottish Environment Protection Agency is Scotland’s environmental regulator. Its main role is to protect and improve Scotland's environment...
- Scottish Natural HeritageScottish Natural HeritageScottish Natural Heritage is a Scottish public body. It is responsible for Scotland's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and scenic diversity. It advises the Scottish Government and acts as a government agent in the delivery of conservation designations, i.e...
- The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority
- The Macaulay Institute
The department also worked with 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....
.