FACT SHEET 1

The Kingdoms of Scotland and England were united under one crown in 1603 when James VI of Scotland ascended the English throne, but separate Parliaments continued to meet in Edinburgh and London.

In 1707 the Scottish and English Parliaments passed the Act of Union which joined the two nations under one Parliament of Great Britain, meeting in London.

The settlement provided for a number of seats for Scottish representatives in the House of Commons and the House of Lords and a Secretary of State for Scotland in Parliament.

New arrangements were made in 1709 when responsibility for Scotland was given to the Secretary for Great Britain, but the post was often vacant and Scottish affairs were managed by the Lord Advocate, the principal law officer in Scotland.

Parliament appointed separate Secretaries of State for home and foreign affairs in 1782, and the Home Secretary, advised by the Lord Advocate, became responsible for domestic affairs in Scotland, as in England and Wales.

In 1885, a Secretary for Scotland was appointed and the Scottish Office was established at Dover House, Whitehall. The Secretary for Scotland took responsibility for administering Scotland's separate legal system and the Scottish Boards for agriculture, education, local government and health.

The increasing responsibilities of the Secretary for Scotland saw the post upgraded to Secretary of State in 1926, and in 1928 the Scottish Boards became departments of The Scottish Office, laying the foundations of The Scottish Office to today. In 1939, St Andrew's House in Edinburgh became the headquarters of The Scottish Office and Dover House was retained as a liaison office in Whitehall.

The responsibilities of the Secretary of State have widened considerably since the office was established and today The Scottish Office has responsibility for most functions of the United Kingdom Government in Scotland, with the major exceptions of defence, foreign policy, taxation and social security.

The present structure of five departments was introduced in 1995 to provide the most effective and efficient policy advice to Ministers and service to individual customers and organisations.

The Secretary of State is responsible to Parliament for the operations of The Scottish Office and for Scottish legislation. Scottish affairs are debated regularly in both Houses of Parliament and the Secretary of State and ministers answer questions in Parliament on all aspects of their responsibilities.

Scottish peers are entitled to sit in the House of Lords and the 72 Parliamentary constituencies in Scotland elect Members to the House of Commons.

The Scottish Grand Committee, a committee of the House of Commons consisting of all Members of Parliament representing Scottish constituencies, was established to consider proposed legislation concerned exclusively with Scotland and to debate other aspects of Scottish affairs. The role of the Committee was widened following a review of the governance of Scotland in 1993 and was further extended in 1995.

There is now provision for the Second and the final Third Reading of Bills relating exclusively to Scotland to be debated by the Committee sitting in Scotland. The Prime Minister, members of the Cabinet and other Ministers in the House of Commons may take part in debates in Scotland, and Scottish Ministers in the House of Lords may make statements to the Committee and be questioned on them.

The Committee can hold adjournment and other short debates, and up to 12 general debates each year, with the Opposition able to choose subjects for six debates. The Committee meets in Westminster and in Edinburgh, and since 1994 has met in other cities and towns in Scotland.

Two Scottish Standing Committees, each of at least 16 Members of Parliament representing Scottish constituencies, may examine in detail legislation affecting Scotland. A Select Committee of 11 Members may examine the financial estimates, administration and policy of The Scottish Office and other public bodies.

The Secretary of State for Scotland is a member of the United Kingdom Cabinet and directly responsible to Parliament for those functions of government which are separately administered in Scotland.

The Secretary of State must also ensure the United Kingdom Cabinet and other ministers with responsibilities in Scotland are fully aware of Scottish needs and circumstances.

The Secretary of State is advised on legal matters by the Scottish Law Officers (the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor-General for Scotland), who are Ministers of the Crown and is supported by a Minister of State and three Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State who take day-to-day responsibility for departments of The Scottish Office.

The Secretary of State is chairman of the Scottish Economic Council and takes the lead among the three Ministers who direct the Forestry Commission.

The Secretary of State appoints members of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, health boards and NHS Trusts, The Scottish Arts Council, the Crofters' Commission, the Parole Board for Scotland, the Scottish Legal Aid Board, the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and a number of other organisations.

The Scottish Office consists of five departments - Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department, Development Department, Education and Industry Department, Home Department and the Department of Health - which work in close co-operation with other United Kingdom Government departments, the European Community, Scottish local authorities and other customers. A number of groups provide common services to all departments.

The headquarters of The Scottish Office is at St Andrew's House, Edinburgh but civil servants work from around 100 locations throughout the country, including Victoria Quay, Leith, Edinburgh. A small group of staff are based in Dover House, The Scottish Office's liaison office in Whitehall. The introduction of enhanced information technology systems is increasing efficiency and improving services to both internal and external customers.

In 1995, there were 4,500 civil servants employed in The Scottish Office and a further 5,600 staff in the nine Executive Agencies in Scotland, including the Scottish Prison Service.

Each Executive Agency has a defined task, or range of tasks, which are set out in its published framework document. Key performance targets, covering financial performance, efficiency and service to the customer, are set by Ministers annually and announced to Parliament. Each Agency has a Chief Executive, normally directly accountable to Ministers and with personal responsibility for the success of the Agency in meeting its targets.

Six of the Executive Agencies (Historic Scotland, Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency, Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, Scottish Prison Service, Scottish Office Pensions Agency and Student Awards Agency Scotland) are Agencies of The Scottish Office. Two (Registers of Scotland and Scottish Record Office) are separate Departments; and Scottish Court Service is an Agency established within the Scottish Courts Administration.

Proposed expenditure by The Scottish Office and its Executive Agencies in 1995-96 was £14,200 million.

The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department (SOAEFD) is responsible for advising Ministers on United Kingdom and European Community policy relating to agriculture, environmental issues and fisheries, and for the implementation of those policies in Scotland. The Department is also responsible for providing administrative services within The Scottish Office.

The Department's main aims are to improve the economic performance of Scottish agriculture, fishing and food industries; to protect and enhance the environment; to promote the well-being of the countryside; to protect consumers and to promote agricultural, biological and environmental research.

SOAEFD aims to improve the industries' economic performance by effective implementation of the EC Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy obligations, and by promotion of further reform of the policies.

The Department is responsible for assisting the development and structural adjustment of the agriculture, aquaculture and fishing industries; developing conservation measures to protect fish stocks; and taking action against plant diseases and pests, and animal and fish diseases. SOAEFD also encourages high animal welfare standards on farms and in transport.

SOAEFD aims to protect and enhance the environment by promoting environmentally sensitive and sustainable development, by securing the conservation and enhancement of Scotland's unique natural heritage and by improving scientific understanding of Scotland's terrestrial and marine environment.

The Department is responsible for ensuring that UK and EC objectives for pollution control and drinking water are met, including appropriate control over the use and disposal of radioactive substances, and the regulation of environmental aspects of nuclear installations.

SOAEFD aims to promote the well-being of Scotland's countryside by protecting the rural economy, particularly remote communities and the Less Favoured Areas. The Department is responsible for supporting an appropriate balance of development and conservation, for securing the active involvement of all members of rural communities, and for encouraging a wider appreciation of the natural heritage.

SOAEFD aims to protect consumers by implementing and developing food safety laws, taking action against animal diseases which could affect human health, and ensuring that adequate water supplies and sewerage services are widely available.

The Department aims to support the core research work of Government-funded research agencies and a programme of research commissioned on a competitive basis.

SOAEFD is assisted by two Executive Agencies, the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, which carries out a variety of statutory and regulatory work in seed testing, plant health and use of pesticides; and the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency, which monitors Scottish fisheries by air and sea and enforces fisheries regulations.

The Department is also responsible for a range of agricultural and fisheries scientific and research establishments in Scotland, and sponsors several non-departmental public bodies including Scottish Natural Heritage, the Crofters Commission and the Red Deer Commission.

From April 1996, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency assumed the water regulation and air pollution functions of local authorities, and the functions of HM Industrial Pollution Inspectorate and the river purification authorities. Three public water authorities will take responsibility for the provision of water and sewerage services.

The Scottish Office Development Department (SODD) administers a wide range of Government responsibilities, including housing and area regeneration, local government organisation and finance, land use planning, roads and transport. The Department also provides a Central Statistics Unit for The Scottish Office.

SODD is responsible for the development and administration of the Government's housing policy which aims to secure an adequate supply of housing in Scotland with improved choice and quality, and make effective use of resources. The Department is also responsible for area regeneration and the management of the Government's Urban Programme.

SODD sponsors Scottish Homes, the national housing agency which encourages greater choice in rented housing by funding and supervising housing associations and other landlords which provide new and modernised housing to let.

The Department's priorities include promoting home ownership, principally through Right to Buy and Rent to Mortgage schemes for public sector tenants, and a range of low-cost home ownership schemes administered through Scottish Homes.

SODD provides advice and guidance to local authorities and other housing agencies on securing an adequate supply of housing for community care groups as part of the Government's policies for Care in the Community, and for homeless people in priority need.

The Department promotes improvements in Scotland's housing stock through the targeting of local authority and Scottish Homes' resources and the funding of improvement grants for private sector housing, which are administered by local authorities.

Local authorities are the main providers of public sector housing in Scotland and SODD administers a system of Housing Plans which establishes their priorities and allocates capital expenditure resources.

SODD continues to seek improvements in housing management and in tenants' rights, which are laid down in the Tenant's Charter.

SODD is responsible for developing and administering policy on local government finance, including Council Tax, and for local government structure and organisation. The Department's overall aim is to provide an effective framework within which local authorities can carry out their responsibilities.

In 1995-96, the Government supported Scottish local authorities' current expenditure totalling £5,306 million.

Following a reorganisation in 1975 there were two tiers of local government in mainland Scotland, with 53 district and 9 regional councils each providing a range of services and only Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles having all-purpose, single tier authorities. On 1 April 1996, 29 new unitary councils replaced regional and district councils and joined the island councils as single-tier local authorities which are accountable and better able to arrange co-ordinated services for their communities.

The Department is responsible for the conduct of local government and for competitive tendering for local authority services. SODD sponsors the Scottish Local Government Boundary Commission and the Accounts Commission for Scotland.

SODD advises the Secretary of State on local authority structure plans and on development proposals of national importance, and deals with planning appeals.

The Department has responsibility for transport policy in Scotland, including the trunk road network, shipping and air services in the Highlands and Islands, and liaison with local authorities on transport matters.

SODD co-ordinated the interest of The Scottish Office in EC policies and administers EC regional fund programmes in Scotland. The Secretary of State carries out his statutory responsibilities for the New Town development corporations through the Department.

The Department prepares the Scottish Abstract of Statistics and other statistical publications. SODD also provides economic and statistical expertise to other departments in The Scottish Office.

Also part of the Department is Historic Scotland, established as an Executive Agency in 1991 to safeguard Scotland's rich heritage of ancient monuments and historic buildings.

The Scottish Office Education and Industry Department (SOEID) administers Government policy for education and training, and advises the Secretary of State on industrial and economic development in Scotland.

Planned expenditure by central government on education in 1995-96 totalled around £1,000 million, mostly on student allowances and grants to further and higher education institutions. Local authority planned expenditure on education, which is assisted by Government revenue support grant, amounted to around £2,500 million in 1995-96. The Department also pays grants to residential special schools and organisations which provide recreational and informal education.

SOEID administers Government policy for school education in co-operation with local authorities which are responsible for providing school education in their areas. There are about 800,000 pupils in 2,800 schools in Scotland.

The Department promotes a high-quality education service in schools and colleges of further education which meets the needs of individuals, society and employers.

HM Inspectorate of Schools, a distinct unit within the Department, has responsibility for developing arrangements for quality assurance in the education system as a whole. The Inspectorate inspects and reports on a wide range of educational establishments and community education services each year. HM Senior Chief Inspector of Schools is the principal professional adviser on education to the Secretary of State.

SOEID gives guidance on the content of education and on the key elements in initial teacher-training courses, seeks to match the supply of teachers to demand and administers student grants.

Recent developments in Scottish school education include the introduction of devolved school management to ensure that local decisions are taken at a local level, the teaching of modern languages in primary schools and progress on implementing the Parents' Charter, under which parents, schools and education authorities will be full partners in the education system.

Plans have been announced for the reform of the upper secondary curriculum in Scottish schools. Details are contained in the document Higher Still, Opportunity for All. The development programme is making good progress on detailed aspects of the new system which will be introduced in 1998-99.

SOEID is responsible for administering the Secretary of State's responsibility to ensure the provision of adequate and efficient further education in Scotland. In 1994-95 there were more than 200,000 students in 43 incorporated colleges. Further education in Orkney and Shetland is provided at centres run by local authorities and funded by the Secretary of State.

There are 22 higher education institutions in Scotland providing a wide range of full-time, part-time and sandwich courses at certificate, diploma, degree and postgraduate levels. In 1993-94, there were 132,473 students enrolled at these institutions. The Open University also delivers the full range of its courses in Scotland.

The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council is responsible for allocating funds to 21 higher education institutions. The Council, which was established in 1992, also has general responsibility for assessing the quality of education available. Higher education courses are also provided by further education colleges.

Close links between institutions have enhanced opportunities for students to transfer into degree studies through credit accumulation and access courses. Industry and commerce also work closely with institutions in a number of different ways including the representation of employers on governing bodies.

The Department is responsible for fostering liaison between schools and further and higher education institutions and industry, and for administering the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative in schools and colleges. The Scottish Vocational Education Council (SCOTVEC) provides qualifications for most occupations similar to the awards made by the City and Guilds of London Institute and other bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

SOEID supervises the provision of community education by local authorities and voluntary organisations, including youth, community and adult education.

The Secretary of State assumed responsibility for training policy and public expenditure provision for training programmes in Scotland in 1994. The Secretary of State is committed to the common goal to increase individual and national prosperity by stimulating enterprise and developing skills, and within the framework of a strategy for Great Britain now has discretion to tailor policies and resource allocation to meet Scottish needs and circumstances.

SOEID is taking forward the wide range of policies involved, spanning vocational education, training and business development, as part of a coherent approach which converges on the key objectives of enhancing employment opportunities and strengthening Scotland's competitiveness.

Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, through their networks of local enterprise companies, are responsible for the delivery of Government training programmes, including Youth Training and Skillseekers for young people, and Training for Work for unemployed adults. Primary responsibility for workforce training rests with employers and individual employees.

In April 1995, the Secretary of State published Training for the Future - The Way Forward and announced measures designed to stimulate and support the market in training, building on the best of what had been achieved in Scotland. These measures included support for the development of Modern Apprenticeships as part of the Skillseekers youth credit programme, support for training in small firms and for the promotion and delivery of the Investors in People programme. SOEID, through the enterprise network, is responsible for taking forward these measures which reflect Scotland's specific circumstances.

Two Executive Agencies are responsible to the Secretary of State through SOEID. The Scottish Office Pensions Agency was established as an Executive Agency in 1993 to administer pension arrangements for some 330,000 people, mainly NHS and teaching service employees and pensioners. The Students Awards Agency for Scotland was established as an Executive Agency in 1994 to provide awards for eligible students living in Scotland.

The Secretary of State has particular responsibilities for encouraging the development of the Arts, culture and heritage, and sport and recreation in Scotland.

SOEID funds the National Galleries, Library and Museums of Scotland, and provides funds to support the work of the Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Film Council, Scottish Sports Council and a wide range of other bodies including the Scottish Museums Council. The Department is also responsible for policy on Gaelic and on broadcasting in Scotland. In 1995-96, expenditure in these areas totalled £82.5 million.

SOEID's responsibilities cover general policy towards industry, and overseeing and supporting industry in Scotland. The Department provides financial support for the industrial infrastructure, for modernisation and the introduction of new technology, and provides general business support.

The Secretary of State carries out his statutory responsibilities for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise through the Department. The two enterprise agencies promote economic development, environmental improvement and training in their areas through the assistance of a network of local enterprise companies. The Department also supervises the provision of careers services.

SOEID supports trade activity and export promotion through Scottish Trade International, which operates as a joint organisation with Scottish Enterprise to help Scottish business develop and exploit opportunities in overseas markets.

Through Locate in Scotland, the Department is also jointly involved with Scottish Enterprise in promoting Scotland as a location for the development of internationally mobile projects.

SOEID carries out the Secretary of State's responsibilities for energy policy, including Scottish Nuclear Ltd, and for the role of the Scottish Tourist Board in developing tourism.

The Scottish Office Department of Health (SODoH) is responsible for health policy and the administration of the National Health Service in Scotland. Planned expenditure by the Department on health services in 1995-96 was £4,100 million.

The Government's Chief Medical Officer for Scotland heads a Public Health Policy Unit dealing with wider health issues, and is the Secretary of State's chief medical adviser.

The Chief Executive of the National Health Service in Scotland leads the central management of the NHS, is accountable to ministers for the efficiency and performance of the service, and heads a Management Executive which oversees the work of 15 area health boards responsible for planning and purchasing health services for people in their area, and 47 self-governing NHS Trusts responsible for providing services to patients and the community.

The Management Executive also has responsibility for the State Hospital, which cares for patients who require treatment under conditions of special security, and the Health Education Board for Scotland, which promotes positive attitudes to health and encourages healthy lifestyles.

The NHS in Scotland has around 142,000 staff, including more than 70,000 nurses, midwives and health visitors, and over 7,000 doctors. There are also more than 7,000 family practitioners, including doctors, dentists, opticians and community pharmacists, who are independent contractors providing a range of services within the NHS in return for various fees and allowances.

The Scottish Office Home Department (SOHD) is responsible for the police and fire services in Scotland, and for social work services. SOHD is also responsible for aspects of criminal justice and civil law and for liaison with the legal profession in Scotland.

Planned expenditure by the Department on law, order and protective services in 1995-96 was £773.1 million.

SOHD, in partnership with local police authorities, carries out the Secretary of State's responsibilities for administration of an efficient police service, including provision of training at the Scottish Police College.

The Department deals with fire service matters, including provision of training at the Scottish Fire Service Training School. SOHD promotes emergency planning for peace and war, by both Government and local authorities, and co-ordinates action by The Scottish Office departments on civil emergencies.

SOHD is responsible for criminal justice policy and procedure in Scotland, including early release of prisoners, advice on alleged miscarriages of justices and civil law matters, such as matrimonial and family law, and regulation of charities. The Department is responsible for the legal aid system in Scotland and aspects of the work of district courts.

SOHD is responsible for social work policy and in particular for community care, child care and social work services in the criminal justice system. The Department is also responsible for appointments to children's panels and for general overseeing of the children's hearings system.

The Department deals with electoral procedures, including registration of electors, and with Royal, church and ceremonial matters.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS), established as an Executive Agency within SOHD in 1993, has around 4,500 staff and manages 22 establishments in Scotland with an average daily population of around 5,700.

The Scottish Courts Administration (SCA) is separately responsible to the Secretary of State and to the Lord Advocate for a wide range of policy issues including all matters dealing with the Judiciary in Scotland and the law of criminal evidence and civil procedure.

The Scottish Court Service (SCS), established as an Executive Agency in 1995, discharges the Secretary of State's responsibilities for the organisation, administration and staffing of the Supreme and Sheriff Courts in Scotland.

The General Register Office for Scotland, under the Registrar General for Scotland, who is appointed by the Secretary of State, is responsible for registration of births, deaths, marriages, divorces and adoptions; administration of the statutes relating to the formalities of marriage; demographic statistics and the census of population.

With the consent of the Lord President of the Court of Session, the Secretary of State appoints the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland and the Keeper of the Records of Scotland. Registers of Scotland, which maintains public registers and legal documents, became an Executive Agency in 1990, and the Scottish Record Office, which holds the national archives of Scotland, was established as an Executive Agency in 1993.

The Scottish Office has a number of groups which provide common services, including legal, personnel and finance services, to all departments.

The Information Directorate is responsible for media and publicity services for The Scottish Office, media arrangements for Royal and State visits in Scotland, and carries out duties in Scotland for the Central Office of Information and other Government departments.

The Director of Administrative Services is answerable to SOAEFD, which is responsible for providing a range of administrative services for departments of The Scottish Office including information systems, information technology services, accommodation and estates, purchasing and supply, and telecommunications.