The Scottish Office was a department of the
Government of the United Kingdom
His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. from 1885 until 1999, exercising a wide range of government functions in relation to
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
under the control of the
Secretary of State for Scotland
The secretary of state for Scotland (; ), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Scotland Office. The incum ...
. Following the establishment of the
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...
in 1999, most of its work was transferred to the newly established Scottish Executive (now officially the
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in ...
), with a small residue of functions retained by the
Scotland Office
The Scotland Office (Scottish Gaelic: ''An Oifis Albannach''), known as the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland from 2018 to 2024, is a department of His Majesty's Government headed by the secretary of state for Scotland and respon ...
.
History
Following the
Act of Union 1707
The Acts of Union refer to two acts of Parliament, one by the Parliament of Scotland in March 1707, followed shortly thereafter by an equivalent act of the Parliament of England. They put into effect the international Treaty of Union agree ...
and the adjournment of the old
Parliament of Scotland
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, the post of
Secretary of State for Scotland
The secretary of state for Scotland (; ), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Scotland Office. The incum ...
was established within the government of the
Kingdom of Great Britain
Great Britain, also known as the Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in Western Europe from 1707 to the end of 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, which united the Kingd ...
. The Secretary of State was entrusted with general responsibility for the governance of Scotland, with the
Lord Advocate
His Majesty's Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate (), is the principal legal adviser of both the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolution, devolved powers of the Scottish P ...
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, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...
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) 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 politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party.
In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...
to appoint a Scottish Secretary with responsibility for the boards, but the post of
Secretary for Scotland
The secretary of state for Scotland (; ), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Scotland Office. The incum ...
, 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 ty ...
which had been established in 1828, the
Fishery Board 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 () took the place of the Crofters Commission () on 1 April 2012 as the statutory regulator for crofting in Scotland. Based in Inverness, it is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. The C ...
was established, and lasted until 1911. In 1894, the Board of Supervision for Poor Relief became the
Local Government Board for Scotland, 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 Africa
* Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa
*Highlands, Harare, Zimbabw ...
the following year, and the
Scottish Insurance Commissioners
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 ...
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
A local board of health (or simply a ''local board'') was a local authority 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, regulat ...
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 encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
and
Prisons
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are imprisoned under the authority of the state, usually as punishment for various cr ...
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
A corporate action is an event initiated by a public company that brings or could bring an actual change to the debt securities— equity or debt—issued by the company. Corporate actions are typically agreed upon by a company's board of dire ...
, 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. 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 and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...
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
The Department of Primary Industries is the Queensland Government department responsible for developing Queensland's primary industries. The section known as Biosecurity Queensland is responsible for biosecurity matters within the state.
The ...
), 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
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 ...
in 1983. All of the Departments had their names changed in 1991, when "Scottish Office" was prefixed to them, and at the same time the Development Department was renamed to the
Scottish Office Environment Department
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 ...
.
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"](_blank)
''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 Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department; 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 (Health) is currently Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak.
See also
*Health Science Scotland
References
External links
*
...
, the
Public Health Policy Unit,
Medical Services
Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance 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 deliver ...
, and
Nursing Services.
All of the Departments were abolished in 1999 and most of their functions transferred to the newly formed
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in t ...
.
Ministers
The post of
Secretary for Scotland
The secretary of state for Scotland (; ), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Scotland Office. The incum ...
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 (; ), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Scotland Office. The incum ...
. 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 know ...
, 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
The secretary of state for Scotland (; ), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Scotland Office. The incum ...
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 service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...
. 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
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.
**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 Dire ...
**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 ide ...
**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 Dire ...
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 the archives of a country. The concept evolved in various nations at the dawn of modernity based on the impact of nationalism upon bureaucratic processes of paperwork retention.
Conceptual development
From the Middle Ages i ...
,
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