Public bodies of the Scottish Government are organisations that are funded by the Scottish Government. They form a tightly meshed network of executive and advisory

non-departmental public bodies In the United Kingdom, non-departmental public body (NDPB) is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to public sector organisations that have a role in the process of na ...

(" quangoes"); tribunals; and

nationalised industries Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to pri ...

. 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 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 ...

, although executive agencies are listed in the Scottish Government's directory of national public bodies alongside other public bodies.

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 The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland (OCPAS) regulates and monitors the way in which ministerial appointments are made to the boards of public bodies in Scotland. The Office was founded in 2004, and is headed by the C ...

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 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 ...

, and publish their own annual reports and accounts. Each office is headed by a board or statutory officeholder(s) appointed by the Scottish Government. *

Consumer Scotland Consumer Scotland ( gd, Luchd-Cleachdaidh Alba) is a non-ministerial office of the Scottish Government. It was established in 2022 following the passage of the Consumer Scotland Act 2020 to act as the statutory, independent voice for consumers ...

Environmental Standards Scotland Environmental Standards Scotland ( gd, Ìrean Àrainneachdail na h-Alba) is a Public bodies of the Scottish Government#Non-ministerial offices, non-ministerial office of the Scottish Government. It was formed in October 2021 to scrutinise, investi ...

Food Standards Scotland Food Standards Scotland ( gd, Inbhe-Bidhe Alba) is a non-ministerial government department of the Scottish Government. It is responsible for food safety, Standards organization, food standards, nutrition, United Kingdom food labelling regulations, ...

* National Records of Scotland * Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator *

Registers of Scotland Registers of Scotland (RoS) is the non-ministerial department of the Scottish Government responsible for compiling and maintaining records relating to property and other legal documents. They currently maintain 20 public registers. The official re ...

Revenue Scotland , type = Non-ministerial government department , logo = Revenue Scotland logo.svg , logo_width = , logo_caption = , picture = , picture_width = , picture_caption = , formed = , diss ...

* Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service *

Scottish Fiscal Commission The Scottish Fiscal Commission ( gd, Coimisean Fiosgail na h-Alba) is a non-ministerial office. It was established by the Scottish Parliament to provide independent forecasts of taxes and social security expenditure, and GDP forecasts, to help in ...

* Scottish Housing Regulator

Executive non-departmental public bodies

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. *

Accounts Commission for Scotland The Accounts Commission for Scotland is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. The Commission audits Scottish local government and associated public bodies. With the passing of the Public Finance and Accountabili ...

* Architecture and Design Scotland * Bòrd na Gàidhlig * Cairngorms National Park Authority * Care Inspectorate *

Children's Hearings Scotland Children's Hearings Scotland is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government, responsible for aspects of the administration of the country's system of children's hearings. It recruits, trains and supports the volunteer ...

Community Justice Scotland Community Justice Scotland is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government, which is responsible for reducing reoffending. It launched in April 2017. It was established by the Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016, rep ...

Creative Scotland Creative Scotland ( gd, Alba Chruthachail ; sco, Creative Scotlan) is the development body for the arts and creative industries in Scotland. Based in Edinburgh, it is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. The o ...

Crofting 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 ...

* David MacBrayne Ltd * Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd * Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd * Highlands and Islands Enterprise * Historic Environment Scotland * Independent Living Fund Scotland * The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority *

National Galleries of Scotland National Galleries of Scotland ( gd, Gailearaidhean Nàiseanta na h-Alba) is the executive non-departmental public body that controls the three national galleries of Scotland and two partner galleries, forming one of the National Collections o ...

National Library of Scotland The National Library of Scotland (NLS) ( gd, Leabharlann Nàiseanta na h-Alba, sco, Naitional Leebrar o Scotland) is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. As one of the largest libraries in the ...

* National Museums Scotland * NatureScot * Police Investigations and Review Commissioner *

Quality Meat Scotland Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. It promotes the red meat sector and markets the Protected Geographical Indication Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb brands. It was set up in 1990 (or ...

Redress Scotland Redress is a setting right, as of injury, oppression, or wrong. Redress may refer to: * Redress of grievances or right to petition ** Redress of grievances in the United States * Legal redress * Redress (charitable organisation) * Redress Contr ...

* Risk Management Authority * Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh *

Scottish Agricultural Wages Board The Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. It sets minimum pay rates and other conditions for agricultural workers, as set out in the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Ord ...

* Scottish Canals *

Scottish Children's Reporter Administration The Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government, with responsibility for protecting children at risk. SCRA was formed under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 ...

* Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission * Scottish Enterprise * Scottish Environment Protection Agency *

Scottish Funding Council The Scottish Funding Council (Scottish Gaelic: '; SFC), referred to more formally as the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council, is the non-departmental public body charged with funding Scotland's further and higher education i ...

* Scottish Futures Trust * Scottish Land Commission *

Scottish Legal Aid Board The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government, responsible for managing legal aid. It was established in April 1987, under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986, taking over functions ...

* Scottish Legal Complaints Commission * Scottish National Investment Bank *

Scottish Qualifications Authority The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA; Gaelic: ''Ùghdarras Theisteanas na h-Alba'') is the executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for accrediting educational awards. It is partly funded by the Ed ...

* Scottish Rail Holdings *

Scottish Social Services Council The Scottish Social Services Council is responsible for raising standards in the country's social service Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly incl ...

* Skills Development Scotland * South of Scotland Enterprise * sportscotland * VisitScotland * Water Industry Commission for Scotland

Advisory non-departmental public bodies

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. * Boundaries Scotland * Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland *

Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland Mobility may refer to: Social sciences and humanities * Economic mobility, ability of individuals or families to improve their economic status * Geographic mobility, the measure of how populations and goods move over time * Mobilities, a contemp ...

Poverty and Inequality Commission for Scotland Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse < ...

Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards 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 ide ...

Scottish Commission on Social Security 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 ...

Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel 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 ...

* 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. *

First-tier Tribunal for Scotland The First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (FtTfS) is a first-instance general tribunal in Scotland. It was created by the Tribunals (Scotland) Act 2014, which aimed to create a simplified structure for tribunals in Scotland, amalgamating the functi ...

* Parole Board for Scotland *

Upper Tribunal for Scotland The Upper Tribunal for Scotland (UTfS) is a general appeal tribunal and superior court of record in Scotland. It was created by the Tribunals (Scotland) Act 2014, which aimed to create a simplified structure for tribunals in Scotland. The Lor ...

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. *

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (usually shortened to CMAL or CMAssets; Stòras Mara Cailleannach Earr in Scottish Gaelic) owns the ferries, ports, harbours and infrastructure for the ferry services serving the west coast of Scotland, the ...

Crown Estate Scotland Crown Estate Scotland ( gd, Oighreachd a' Chrùin Alba) is the public corporation of the Scottish Government responsible for the management of land and property in Scotland owned by the monarch 'in right of the Crown'. It devolved from the Cro ...

Glasgow Prestwick Airport Glasgow Prestwick Airport () is an international airport serving the west of Scotland, situated northeast of the town of Prestwick in South Ayrshire and southwest of Glasgow. It is the less busy of the two airports serving the western part of ...

* Scottish Water

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. * Accountant in Bankruptcy * Disclosure Scotland *

Education Scotland Education Scotland ( gd, Foghlam Alba) is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, tasked with improving the quality of the country's education system. Origins The creation of the Agency was announced by Scottish Government Education a ...

Forestry and Land Scotland Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) ( gd, Coilltearachd agus Fearann Alba) is responsible for managing and promoting Scotland's national forest estate: land, predominantly covered in forest, owned by the Scottish Government on behalf of the nation. ...

* Scottish Forestry * Scottish Prison Service *

Scottish Public Pensions Agency The 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. This includes the pension schemes of NHS Scotland and for Sc ...

Social Security Scotland Social Security Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ''Tèarainteachd Shòisealta Alba'') is an executive agency of the Scottish Government with responsibility for social security provision. History The devolved Scottish Parliament was established in 199 ...

* Student Awards Agency for Scotland * Transport Scotland

Commissioners and ombudsmen

Commissioners and

ombudsmen An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...

are responsible for monitoring the actions of government and public boards. They are responsible to parliament, and appointed by the

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) is a body of the Scottish Parliament responsible for the administration of the parliament. It also has a role in provision of services to commissioners and other statutory appointments made by the ...

, in order to ensure their independence from government. * Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life *

Scotland's Commissioner For Children and Young People The Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland is a post in Scotland whose main task is to promote and safeguard the rights of children and young people. The position, equivalent to the Children's Ombudsman agencies of many other countrie ...

Scottish Biometrics Commissioner 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 ...

* Scottish Human Rights Commission * Scottish Information Commissioner * Scottish Public Services Ombudsman * Standards Commission for Scotland

Health bodies

NHS Ayrshire and Arran NHS Ayrshire and Arran is one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. It was formed on 1 April 2004. It has a responsibility to provide health and social care to almost 400,000 people with an operating budget of around £700 million (for 2013� ...

* NHS Borders * NHS Dumfries and Galloway *

NHS Fife NHS Fife is an NHS board which provides healthcare services in Fife, Scotland. It is one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. Hospitals The board runs two main hospitals: * Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy * Queen Margaret Hospital in D ...

* NHS Forth Valley * NHS Grampian * NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde *

NHS Highland NHS Highland is one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. Geographically, it is the largest Health Board, covering an area of from Kintyre in the south-west to Caithness in the north-east, serving a population of 320,000 people. In 2016–1 ...

NHS Lanarkshire NHS Lanarkshire is responsible for the health care of more than 652,000 people living within the subdivisions of Scotland, council areas of North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire in Scotland, making it the third largest health board in the countr ...

* NHS Lothian * NHS Orkney * NHS Shetland * NHS Tayside *

NHS Western Isles NHS Western Isles is an NHS board serving the Outer Hebrides (Western Isles) of Scotland. It is one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. NHS Western Isles is responsible for providing primary and secondary healthcare to the 26,000 people in t ...

Healthcare Improvement Scotland Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is the national healthcare improvement organisation for Scotland. It is a Scottish public body, public body which is part of the Scottish National Health Service, created in April 2011. History NHS Quality I ...

Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is a non-departmental public body, responsible for safeguarding the rights and welfare of people in Scotland with a learning disability, mental illness or other mental disorder. The Commission was origi ...

National Waiting Times Centre Board The Golden Jubilee University National Hospital is a hospital in Clydebank, near Glasgow, Scotland. It was opened in 1994 and is managed by a Special Health Board appointed by NHS Scotland. History Site The site was once part of the William Bea ...

NHS 24 NHS 24 is Scotland's national telehealth and telecare organisation. This special health board runs a telephone advice and triage service that covers the out-of-hours period (Mondays to Fridays between 6pm and 8am, public holidays and all weekend). ...

NHS Education for Scotland NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is an education and training body and a special health board within NHS Scotland. NES is the national special NHS health board with a responsibility to develop and deliver education and training for those peopl ...

* NHS National Services Scotland *

Public Health Scotland Public Health Scotland (PHS) is the national public health body for Scotland. It is a Special NHS Health Board, and it is jointly accountable to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Scottish Government. Fully exercising ...

Scottish Ambulance Service Board The Scottish Ambulance Service ( gd, Seirbheis Ambaileans na h-Alba) is part of NHS Scotland, which serves all of Scotland, Scotland's population. The Scottish Ambulance Service is governed by a NHS Scotland#Special health boards, special healt ...

State Hospital Board for Scotland The State Hospital (also known as Carstairs Hospital, or simply Carstairs) is a psychiatric hospital near the village of Carstairs Junction, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It provides care and treatment in conditions of high security for around ...

Other significant national bodies

* Audit Scotland *

Convener of School Closure Review Panels The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

Court of the Lord Lyon The Court of the Lord Lyon (the Lyon Court) is a standing court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All A ...

Drinking Water Quality Regulator Drinking is the act of ingesting water or other liquids into the body through the mouth, proboscis, or elsewhere. Humans drink by swallowing, completed by peristalsis in the esophagus. The physiological processes of drinking vary widely amon ...

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland was established in 1981, following recommendations of the May Committee report of 1979. The Inspectorate is directly funded by the Scottish Government. As of July 2018, His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Pri ...

HM Chief Inspector of Prosecution in Scotland HM or hm may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''HM'' (magazine), a Christian hard rock magazine * Hidden Machine, a type of item in Pokémon Businesses * H&M, a Swedish clothing company * Hindustan Motors, an automobile manufacturer of India ...

* 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 An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific du ...

* Scottish Fire and Rescue Service * Scottish Police Authority *

Scottish Road Works Commissioner 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 ide ...

References

External links

Directory of national public bodies
- Scottish Government
Online database of all UK quangos 1998-2006 from the Economic Research Council
{{Scottish Executive Nationalised Industries