List of Scottish Executive agencies
Encyclopedia
Executive agencies are established by Ministers as part of Scottish Government departments, or as departments in their own right, to carry out a discrete area of work. Agencies are staffed by civil servants.
Executive agencies
were first established following Sir Robin Ibbs' (then head of the Efficiency Unit) "Next Steps" Report in 1988. The intention was that they would take responsibility for, and bring a new, more customer-focused approach to, individual executive (service delivery) functions within government. This would leave their parent departments to concentrate on policy development, although this boundary can be very blurred.
Agencies are not to be confused with non-departmental public bodies
(NDPB
s) such as Scottish Enterprise
.
Executive agencies
Executive 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...
were first established following Sir Robin Ibbs' (then head of the Efficiency Unit) "Next Steps" Report in 1988. The intention was that they would take responsibility for, and bring a new, more customer-focused approach to, individual executive (service delivery) functions within government. This would leave their parent departments to concentrate on policy development, although this boundary can be very blurred.
Agencies are not to be confused with non-departmental 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....
(NDPB
Non-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, a non-departmental public body —often referred to as a quango—is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to certain types of public bodies...
s) such as 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...
.
Current Agencies
- Accountant in Bankruptcy
- Disclosure ScotlandDisclosure ScotlandDisclosure Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, providing a service aimed to enhance public safety. The agency supplies prospective employers and voluntary sector organisations with any criminal record information on applicants for posts....
- Historic ScotlandHistoric ScotlandHistoric Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
- Her Majesty's Inspectorate of EducationHer Majesty's Inspectorate of EducationHer Majesty's Inspectorate of Education is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for the inspection of public and independent, primary and secondary schools, as well as further education colleges, community learning, Local Authority Education Departments and teacher...
- Mental Health Tribunal for ScotlandMental Health Tribunal for ScotlandThe Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland was set up by the Scottish Executive to hear applications for, and appeals against, Compulsory Treatment Orders, and appeals against Short Term Detention Certificates made under the Mental Health Act 2003, and other matters in relation to that Act, for...
- National Archives of ScotlandNational Archives of ScotlandBased in Edinburgh, the National Archives of Scotland are the national archives of Scotland. The NAS claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in Europe...
- Registers of ScotlandRegisters of ScotlandRegisters of Scotland is the Scottish Government agency responsible for compiling and maintaining records relating to property and other legal documents in Scotland....
- Scottish Prison ServiceScottish Prison ServiceThe Scottish Prison Service is an executive agency of the Scottish Government tasked with managing prisons in Scotland...
- Scottish Public Pensions AgencyScottish Public Pensions AgencyThe Scottish Public Pensions Agency is an executive agency of the Scottish Government. It is responsible for the administration and regulation of government pension schemes in Scotland...
- Social Work Inspection Agency
- Student Awards Agency for ScotlandStudent Awards Agency for ScotlandThe Student Awards Agency for Scotland is an Executive agency of the Scottish Government. It pays the tuition fees of eligible Scottish higher education students, bursaries and supplementary grants. It also assesses students applying for loans...
- Transport ScotlandTransport ScotlandTransport 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...
Former Agencies
- Communities ScotlandCommunities ScotlandCommunities Scotland was an executive agency of the Scottish Government from 2001 to 2008. The Agency was responsible for housing, homelessness, communities and regeneration throughout Scotland....
- 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...
(now part of Marine Scotland, within core Scottish Government) - 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...
(now part ofcore Scottish Government) - 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...
(now part of Marine Scotland, within core Scottish Government) - Scottish Court ServiceScottish Court ServiceThe Scottish Court Service is the body which is responsible for the administration of the Court system in Scotland. The Service employs over 1000 staff members in Scotland's 49 Sheriff Courts, the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary, Justice of the Peace Courts and at the Service's HQ...
(now an NDPB under Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008 - Scottish Building Standards AgencyScottish Building Standards AgencyThe Scottish Building Standards Agency was an executive agency of the Scottish Government. It was responsible for building standards regulations in Scotland.The Agency was based in Livingston, West Lothian.-History:...
(now part ofcore Scottish Government)