Board Of Agriculture For Scotland
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The Scottish Office was a department of the
Government of the United Kingdom ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal coat of arms of t ...
from 1885 until 1999, exercising a wide range of government functions in relation to
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
under the control of the
Secretary of State for Scotland The secretary of state for Scotland ( gd, Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba; sco, Secretar o State fir Scotland), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the Unit ...
. Following the establishment of the
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
in 1999, most of its work was transferred to the newly established Scottish Executive (now officially the Scottish Government), with a small residue of functions retained by the
Scotland Office The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland ( gd, Oifis Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba), often referred to as, and formerly officially called, the Scotland Office, is a department of His Majesty's Government headed by the Secretary of Sta ...
.


History

Following the
Act of Union 1707 The Acts of Union ( gd, Achd an Aonaidh) were two Acts of Parliament: the Union with Scotland Act 1706 passed by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act 1707 passed by the Parliament of Scotland. They put into effect the te ...
and the adjournment of the old
Parliament of Scotland The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...
, the post of
Secretary of State for Scotland The secretary of state for Scotland ( gd, Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba; sco, Secretar o State fir Scotland), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the Unit ...
was established within the government of the
Kingdom of Great Britain The Kingdom of Great Britain (officially Great Britain) was a Sovereign state, sovereign country in Western Europe from 1 May 1707 to the end of 31 December 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of ...
. The Secretary of State was entrusted with general responsibility for the governance of Scotland, with the
Lord Advocate , body = , insignia = Crest of the Kingdom of Scotland.svg , insigniasize = 110px , image = File:Official Portrait of Dorothy Bain QC.png , incumbent = Dorothy Bain KC , incumbentsince = 22 June 2021 , appointer = Monarch on the advice ...
acting as chief law officer in Scotland. The post of Secretary of State for Scotland was abolished in 1746, and the Lord Advocate assumed responsibility for government business in Scotland. In 1828 the
Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national ...
was formally put "in charge of Scotland", but the Lord Advocate continued to be the voice of Scotland in the government and took the lead in Scottish debates. During the nineteenth century, the functions of government increased, particularly at a local level dealing with issues such as public health, poor law relief, roads and education, and local authorities were active in providing water supplies, drainage, hospitals and town planning. To exercise control over these local activities, a number of supervisory boards such as the Board of Supervision for Poor Relief (1845–1894), the General Board of Commissioners in Lunacy (1857–1913) and the Scotch Education Department (a committee of the
Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...
) were established. However the accountability of these boards was not clear, they were staffed by amateurs and they increased the scope for government patronage. In 1869 Scottish MPs asked
Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
to appoint a Scottish Secretary with responsibility for the boards, but the post of Secretary for Scotland, and with it, the Scottish Office, were not created until 1885.


Departments

By the time the Scottish Office was formed in 1885, a number of institutions of government existed exclusively for Scotland: the
Board of Supervision for Poor Relief Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ...
which had been established in 1828, the
Fishery Board Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, bot ...
which had been limited to Scotland in 1849, the General Board of Commissioners in Lunacy (established in 1857), the Scotch Education Department (established in 1872), and the Prisons Commission, created in 1877. In 1886, a
Crofters Commission The Crofting Commission ( gd, Coimisean na Croitearachd) took the place of the Crofters Commission ( gd, Coimisean nan Croitearan) on 1 April 2012 as the statutory regulator for crofting in Scotland. Based in Inverness, it is an executive non-d ...
was established, and lasted until 1911. In 1894, the Board of Supervision for Poor Relief became the
Local Government Board for Scotland The Local Government Board for Scotland was the body charged with overseeing local government, public health, housing and poor law of Scotland from 1894 to 1919. Establishment The board was established by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894. ...
, and three years later a Congested Districts Board was established and lasted until 1911. To these were added the Scottish Board of Agriculture in 1912, the
Highlands and Islands Medical Services Board Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...
the following year, and the Scottish Insurance Commissioners in 1911.James G. Kellas, ''The Scottish Political System'', 4th ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989), p. 32. These bodies were gradually consolidated and reformed thereafter. In 1919, a
Board of Health Local boards or local boards of health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate environment ...
was formed to bring together and extend the functions of the Insurance Commissioners, Highlands and Islands Medical Services Board, and the Local Government Board for Scotland. This Board, along with the Board of Agriculture and the Prisons Commission were abolished in 1928 and replaced with departments, for Health,
Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
and
Prisons A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correcti ...
respectively (by the Reorganisation of Offices (Scotland) Act 1928). The next major phase of reorganisation occurred in 1939, following the Gilmour Committee Report on Scottish Administration; by the Reorganisation of Offices (Scotland) Act 1939, the Scottish Education Department (which is what the Scotch Education Department had been called since 1918), the Department of Health for Scotland, the Department of Agriculture for Scotland, the Prisons Department for Scotland, and the Fishery Board for Scotland had their functions transferred to the Secretary of State. The departments were reformed, with the functions of the Fishery Board and the Prisons Department merged into a new
Scottish Home Department The Scottish Office was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom 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. Following the e ...
. Agriculture, Education and Health were left largely intact and reformed into Departments. The portfolios were widened when the Scottish Office received functions relating to the
Crown Estate The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings in the United Kingdom belonging to the British monarch as a corporation sole, making it "the sovereign's public estate", which is neither government property nor part of the monarch's priva ...
s in 1943 and
forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
in 1945, and after the Report of the Royal Commission on Scottish Affairs in 1954. The departmental structure changed in 1960, when responsibility for fisheries was removed from the Home Office and added the Department of Agriculture (it then became the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries), and in 1962, when the Home and Health departments were merged (into the Scottish Home and Health Department). A new Development Department was also established in 1962. In 1973, they were joined by a new Scottish Economic Planning Department, which was renamed the Scottish Industry Department in 1983. All of the Departments had their named changed in 1991, when "Scottish Office" was prefixed to them, and at the same time the Development Department was renamed the Scottish Office Environment Department. The year 1995 brought further changes; the Industry Department was merged with Education to form the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department;"New Scottish Office structure announced"
''The Local Government Chronicle'', 7 August 1995. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
the Environment Department reverted to its old name; the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries was renamed the Scottish Office Department for Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries; and the Home and Health Department was broken up: the new Scottish Office Home Department was still headed by a permanent secretary, but Scottish Office Health Department was not, instead comprising the Management Executive for NHS in Scotland, the
Chief Scientist Office The Chief Scientist Office is part of the Health and Wellbeing Directorate of the Scottish Government. The Chief Scientist is currently Professor David Crossman. Professional issues relating to Healthcare science in the NHS in Scotland are the ...
, the Public Health Policy Unit,
Medical Services Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profess ...
, and Nursing Services. All of the Departments were abolished in 1999 and most of their functions transferred to the newly formed Scottish Executive.


Ministers

The post of Secretary for Scotland was established in 1885. From 1892 the holder sat in Cabinet and in 1926 the post was elevated to the rank of Principal Secretary of State and retitled
Secretary of State for Scotland The secretary of state for Scotland ( gd, Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba; sco, Secretar o State fir Scotland), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the Unit ...
. The addition of responsibility for health functions in 1919 resulted in the creation of a junior ministerial post, the
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health for Scotland The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland is a junior ministerial post (of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State rank) in the Government of the United Kingdom, supporting the Secretary of State for Scotland. The post is also kno ...
, which in turn became a
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland is a junior ministerial post (of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State rank) in the Government of the United Kingdom, supporting the Secretary of State for Scotland. The post is also know ...
in 1926. Additional Parliamentary Under-Secretary posts were added in 1940 and 1951 and a Minister of State post was established in 1951. In 1969-70 one of the Under-Secretary posts was replaced by an additional Minister of State. From 1974 to 1979 there were two Ministers of State and three Under-Secretaries, reverting to one Minister of State in 1979.


Management

When the political office of Secretary for Scotland was established in 1885, a permanent under-secretaryship was created, to be occupied by a
civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
. The first office-holder was Francis Sandford, who had previously been secretary to the Scotch Education Department. When the political office became the Secretary ''of State'' for Scotland in 1926, the permanent secretary also became formally styled Permanent Under-Secretary ''of State'' for Scotland.David Milne, ''The Scottish Office'' (London: Allen and Unwin, 1957), p. 217. This position was equivalent to Grade 1 in the Civil Service grading structure introduced in 1971. The several separate Scottish departments which fell under remit of the Scottish Office were each headed by a Secretary (equivalent to Grade 2 in the 1971 structure) who was responsible directly to the Secretary of State, but would meet with the Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Scottish Office regularly. In addition, another Grade-2 office – Deputy Secretary (Central Services) – ranked equally with the Secretaries of each of the Departments, and formed part of the Scottish Office's management group (along with the Secretaries and Permanent Under-Secretary). The office-holder was responsible for matters of devolution, as well as the financial management of the Office and local authority finance. The office was established in response to the devolution policies of the Labour Government of 1974–79; "it became imperative to create devolution units at high level but separate from the departments". The office was abolished in 1991. Responsibility for local government finance was then transferred to the Environment Department (formerly the Development Department), while management responsibilities were vested in Gerry Wilson, secretary of the Education Department; this latter arrangement was not intended to be permanent, but reflected the "relative workload" of the different Grade 2 officials.


Scottish government bodies

*Board of Agriculture for Scotland **abolished and recreated as Department of Agriculture for Scotland in 1928. **merged with Scottish Office to form Scottish Home Department in 1939. *
Fishery Board for Scotland The Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) was an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. On 1 April 2009, the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency and Fisheries Research Services were merged with the Scottish Government Marine Direc ...
**merged with Scottish Office to form Scottish Home Department in 1939. *
Scottish Board of Health Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English * Scottish national identity, the Scottish id ...
**abolished and recreated as
Department of Health for Scotland Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
in 1928. * Scotch Education Department, created in 1839 but only became active in 1872 **renamed Scottish Education Department in 1918. **renamed Scottish Office Education Department in 1991. **renamed Scottish Office Education and Industry Department in 1995. *Scottish Home Department **created from the Prison Department, Agriculture Department & the
Fishery Board for Scotland The Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) was an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. On 1 April 2009, the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency and Fisheries Research Services were merged with the Scottish Government Marine Direc ...
in 1939. * Prison Commission, created in 1877. **abolished and recreated as Prison Department in 1928. **merged with Scottish Office to form Scottish Home Department in 1939.


References

*Torrance, David, ''The Scottish Secretaries'' (Birlinn 2006) *Memorandum by
The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...
,
Scottish World War II Administrative Records
{{Authority control Defunct departments of the Government of the United Kingdom Government of Scotland 1885 establishments in the United Kingdom 1885 establishments in Scotland Ministries established in 1885 1999 disestablishments in the United Kingdom