British government departments

United Kingdom

This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the United Kingdom
Constitution Constitution Cabinet Manual Erskine May Taxation
The Crown British Monarchy Monarch Queen Elizabeth II Heir Apparent Charles, Prince of Wales Royal Family Succession to the British throne Royal prerogative
Executive HM Government Prime Minister David Cameron First Secretary of State George Osborne 95th Cabinet Her Majesty's Civil Service Departments Executive agencies Public bodies Privy Council Crown-in-Council Queen Elizabeth II
Legislature Parliament (56th UK Parliament) Crown-in-Parliament Queen Elizabeth II House of Lords Lord Speaker Baroness D'Souza House of Commons Speaker The Rt Hon. John Bercow MP Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn MP Prime Minister's Questions Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet State Opening of Parliament Act of Parliament Statutory Instruments
Judiciary Supreme Court President Lord Neuberger Deputy President Lady Hale Justices of the Supreme Court Courts of the United Kingdom Courts of England and Wales Courts of Northern Ireland Courts of Scotland
Devolution Northern Ireland Executive Assembly Scotland Government Parliament Wales Government National Assembly Reserved matters
Administrative geography England Subdivisions of England Local government in England Northern Ireland Local government in Northern Ireland Scotland Subdivisions of Scotland Local government in Scotland Wales Local government in Wales
Elections Parliament constituencies Political parties Last election Next election Referendums
Foreign relations Foreign policy UK and the United Nations Politics of the European Union Commonwealth of Nations
United Kingdom portal Other countries Atlas Politics portal

The Government of the United Kingdom exercises its executive authority through a number of government departments or departments of state. A department is composed of employed officials, known as civil servants, and is politically accountable through a minister. Most major departments are headed by a secretary of state, who sits in the cabinet, and typically supported by a team of junior ministers.

There are also a number of non-ministerial departments. These are headed by senior civil servants, but are linked to a ministerial department through whose ministers they are accountable to Parliament. Departments serve to implement the policies of Her Majesty's Government, regardless of the government's political composition.^[1] As a consequence, officials within government departments are generally required to adhere to varying levels of political impartiality and neutrality.

Types of departments

There are two types of government departments.

Ministerial departments are led politically by a government minister, normally a member of the cabinet and cover matters that require direct political oversight. For most departments, the government minister in question is known as a secretary of state. He or she is generally supported by a team of junior ministers. The administrative management of a department is led by a senior civil servant, known as a permanent secretary. Subordinate to these ministerial departments are executive agencies. An executive agency has a degree of autonomy to perform an operational function and report to one or more specific government departments, which will set the funding and strategic policy for the agency. At "arm's length" from a parent or sponsor department there can be a number of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), known colloquially as quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations (Quangos).

Non-ministerial departments generally cover matters for which direct political oversight is judged unnecessary or inappropriate. They are headed by senior civil servants. Some fulfil a regulatory or inspection function, and their status is therefore intended to protect them from political interference. Some are headed by Permanent Secretaries or Second Permanent Secretaries.

List of British government departments

Ministerial departments

Non-ministerial departments

List of executive agencies reporting to each department of the British government

Main article: executive agency

References

↑ "How government works". gov.uk. British Government. Retrieved 12 January 2016.

External links

United Kingdom articles

History

Chronology	Formation Georgian era Victorian era Edwardian era World War I Interwar World War II UK since 1945 (Postwar Britain)

By topic	Economic Empire Maritime Military

Geography

Administrative	Countries of the United Kingdom Crown dependencies Overseas territories City status Towns Former colonies

Physical	British Isles terminology Great Britain Coastline Geology Northern Ireland Lakes and lochs Mountains Rivers Volcanoes

Resources	Energy/Renewable energy Biodiesel Coal Geothermal Hydraulic frac. Hydroelectricity Marine North Sea oil Solar Wind Food Agriculture Fishing English Scottish Hunting Materials Flora Forestry Mining

Politics

Constitution Courts Elections Foreign relations Judiciary Law Law enforcement Legislation Monarchy monarchs Nationality Parliament House of Commons House of Lords Political parties

Government	Cabinet list Civil service Departments Prime Minister list

Military	Royal Navy Army Royal Air Force Weapons of mass destruction

Economy

Society

Affordability of housing Crime Demography Drug policy Education Ethnic groups Health care Immigration Innovation Languages Poverty Food banks Prostitution Public holidays Social care Social structure

Culture	Art Cinema Cuisine Identity Literature Media television Music Religion Sport Symbols Theatre

Countries of the United Kingdom

England	History social timeline Geography Politics Law Economy tourism Education Health care Culture Religion Symbols

Northern Ireland	History Geography Politics Assembly Executive First Minister and deputy Law Economy tourism Education Health care Culture Religion Symbols

Scotland	History timeline Geography Politics Parliament Government First Minister Law Economy tourism Education Health care Culture Religion Symbols

Wales	History Geography Welsh Government Politics Assembly First Minister Law Economy tourism Education Health care Culture Religion Symbols

Book
Category
Portal
WikiProject

Departments of Her Majesty's Government

Ministerial	Attorney General's Office Cabinet Office Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Department for Communities and Local Government Department for Culture, Media and Sport Department for Education Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Department for International Development Department for Transport Department for Work and Pensions Department of Energy and Climate Change Department of Health Foreign and Commonwealth Office Her Majesty's Treasury Home Office Ministry of Defence Ministry of Justice Northern Ireland Office Office of the Advocate General for Scotland Office of the Leader of the House of Commons Office of the Leader of the House of Lords Scotland Office UK Export Finance Wales Office

Non-ministerial	Charity Commission for England and Wales Competition and Markets Authority Crown Prosecution Service Food Standards Agency Forestry Commission Government Actuary's Department Government Legal Department Her Majesty's Land Registry Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs National Crime Agency National Savings and Investments Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills Office of Gas and Electricity Markets Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation Office of Rail and Road Ordnance Survey Serious Fraud Office Supreme Court of the United Kingdom The National Archives UK Statistics Authority UK Trade & Investment Water Services Regulation Authority

Category Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, April 15, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.