Public bodies of the Scottish Government
Public bodies of the Scottish Government are organisations that are funded by the Scottish Government. It is a tightly meshed network of executive and advisory non-departmental public bodies ("quangoes"); tribunals; and nationalised industries. Such public bodies are distinct from executive agencies of the Scottish Government, as unlike them they are not considered to be part of the Government and staff of public bodies are not civil servants, although executive agencies are listed in the Scottish Government's directory of national public bodies alongside other public bodies.[1]
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Governance
The Scottish Government is responsible for appointing a board of directors to run public bodies. The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland is responsible for regulating the process.
Public bodies are assigned "sponsoring departments" who provide funding in the form of grant-in-aid to assist with running costs and capital investment. Most public bodies also have other sources of income (for example the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh receives income from charging the public to visit the greenhouses in its gardens).
List of public bodies
Non-ministerial offices
Non-ministerial offices are staffed by civil servants, but do not form part of the Scottish Government. They are accountable to, and funded by the Scottish Parliament, and publish their own annual reports and accounts. Each office is headed by a board or statutory officeholder(s) appointed by the Scottish Government.[2][3]
Executive NDPBs
Executive NDPBs carry out work on behalf of government but do not form part of it, nor are they directly accountable to parliament. They operate within a framework of governance and accountability set by Ministers; often this is defined in specific legislation setting up each body. They employ their own staff, who are not civil servants.[2][4]
- Accounts Commission for Scotland
- Architecture and Design Scotland
- Bòrd na Gàidhlig
- Cairngorms National Park Authority
- Care Inspectorate
- Children's Hearings Scotland
- Community Justice Scotland
- Creative Scotland
- Crofting Commission
- David MacBrayne Ltd
- Historic Environment Scotland
- Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd
- Highlands & Islands Enterprise
- Independent Living Fund Scotland
- The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority
- National Galleries of Scotland
- National Library of Scotland
- National Museums Scotland
- NatureScot
- Police Investigations and Review Commissioner
- Quality Meat Scotland
- Risk Management Authority
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
- Scottish Agricultural Wages Board
- Scottish Children's Reporter Administration
- Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission
- Scottish Enterprise
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency
- Scottish Funding Council
- Scottish Futures Trust
- Scottish Land Commission
- Scottish Legal Aid Board
- Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
- Scottish National Investment Bank
- Scottish Qualifications Authority
- Scottish Social Services Council
- Skills Development Scotland
- sportscotland
- VisitScotland
- Water Industry Commission for Scotland
Advisory NDPBs
Advisory NDPBs are similar to Executive NDPBs, but do not undertake activities directly. They provide independent expert advice to the government and others in relation to particular subject. They do not normally employ staff, with administrative support usually being provided by civil servants.[2][5]
- Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland
- Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland
- Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland
- Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards
- Scottish Commission on Social Security
- Scottish Law Commission
Tribunals
Tribunals undertake judicial functions, but do not form part of the court system. They are independent of government, and are not responsible for budgets or expenditure other than remuneration for tribunal members.[2][6]
- Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland
- First-tier Tax Tribunal for Scotland
- Lands Tribunal for Scotland
- Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland
- Parole Board for Scotland
- Private Rented Housing Panel for Scotland
- Scottish Charity Appeals Panel
- Upper Tax Tribunal for Scotland
Public corporations
Public corporations are companies which recover more than 50% of their costs through commercial activities. They are managed by a board whose members are appointed by the government. Public corporations employ their own staff (who are not civil servants) and manage their own budgets.[2][7]
Executive agencies
Executive agencies form part of the Scottish Government, but have a specific, well-defined remit. They are staffed by civil servants and headed by a Chief Executive, who is a civil servant, and are directly accountable to the government.[2][8]
Commissioners and ombudsmen
As of July 2018.[11]
Health bodies
As of July 2018.[12]
- NHS Ayrshire and Arran
- NHS Borders
- NHS Dumfries and Galloway
- NHS Fife
- NHS Forth Valley
- NHS Grampian
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
- NHS Highland
- NHS Lanarkshire
- NHS Lothian
- NHS Orkney
- NHS Shetland
- NHS Tayside
- NHS Western Isles
- Public Health Scotland
- Healthcare Improvement Scotland
- Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland
- National Waiting Times Centre Board
- NHS 24
- NHS Education for Scotland
- NHS Health Scotland
- NHS National Services Scotland
- Scottish Ambulance Service Board
- State Hospital Board for Scotland
Other significant national bodies
As of July 2018.[13]
- Audit Scotland
- Convener of School Closure Review Panels
- Court of the Lord Lyon
- Drinking Water Quality Regulator
- HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland
- HM Chief Inspector of Prosecution in Scotland
- HM Fire Service Inspectorate in Scotland
- HM Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland
- Justices of the Peace Advisory Committee (x6)
- Office of the Queen's Printer for Scotland
- Scottish Fire & Rescue Service
- Scottish Police Authority
- Scottish Road Works Commissioner
Selected former public bodies
- Advisory Committee on Sites of Special Scientific Interest (abolished)
- Building Standards Advisory Committee (abolished)
- Deer Commission for Scotland (abolished 2010; functions transferred to Scottish Natural Heritage)
- Fisheries (Electricity) Committee
- Historic Scotland (abolished 2015; replaced by Historic Environment Scotland)
- Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland (abolished)
- Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (abolished 2015; replaced by Historic Environment Scotland)
- Scottish Arts Council (abolished, now Creative Scotland)
- Scottish Police Services Authority
- Scottish Screen (now Creative Scotland)
References
- "Directory of National Public Bodies". Scottish Government. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- "Public bodies in Scotland: guide". Scottish Government. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- "National public bodies directory - Non-ministerial offices". Scottish Government. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- "National public bodies directory - Executive non-departmental public bodies". Scottish Government. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- "National public bodies directory - Advisory non-departmental public bodies". Scottish Government. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- "National public bodies directory - Tribunals". Scottish Government. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- "National public bodies directory - Public corporations". Scottish Government. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- "National public bodies directory - Executive agencies". Scottish Government. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- "Report setting out the administrative arrangements that the Scottish Ministers intend to make for the carrying out of their functions under the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018". March 2019. p. 2. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
- "Structures". Scottish Forestry. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
- "National public bodies directory - Commissioners and ombudsmen". Scottish Government. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- "National public bodies directory - Health bodies". Scottish Government. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- "National public bodies directory - Other significant national bodies". Scottish Government. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2019.