Britain: An official handbook > 1977

GOVERNMENT
The Scottish
Development
Department
The Scottish
Economic
Planning
Department
The Scottish
Education
Department
The Scottish
Home and
Health
Department
Other
Administrative
Departments
The Scottish
Law Officers
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The Scottish Development Department is concerned with a number of services
affecting the physical development of Scotland, such as town and country
planning, housing, roads, water supplies and sewerage, coast protection, flood
prevention, building standards and the prevention of river and air pollution
(most of which are administered by local authorities). The department is also
responsible for general policy in regard to local government organisation and
finance and for ancient monuments and historic buildings.
The Scottish Economic Planning Development is responsible for industrial and
economic development including the Scottish aspects of regional policies and
the economic aspects of North Sea oil development; selective assistance to
industry; oversight of the Scottish Development Agency; rural development,
including supervision of the Highlands and Islands Development Board;
electricity; new towns; certain transport functions including oversight of the
Scottish Transport Group; and assistance for shipping services, ferry services,
pier work, and air services in the Highlands and Islands.
The Scottish Education Department is responsible for the development of
public education in Scotland in all its forms (except universities). Through its
Social Work Services Group the department has a responsibility for the
guidance of local authorities in their provision and development of social work
services. It is also concerned with sport, including the financing of the
Scottish Sports Council, and with the development of the arts, with responsi¬
bility for the administration of the National Galleries of Scotland, the
Royal Scottish Museum (including the Scottish United Services Museum),
the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, and the National Library of
Scotland.
The Scottish Home and Health Department is responsible for the central
administration of functions relating to law and order, including the police
service, criminal justice (other than the conduct of prosecutions) and legal aid
and the administration of penal institutions. It also has responsibility for the
administration of the National Health Service in Scotland, legislation relating
to public service superannuation schemes in Scotland and the administration
of the teachers’ and National Health Service superannuation schemes. The
Home and Health Department is the central authority in Scotland for the
fire service, for certain home defence and emergency services, and for legisla¬
tion concerning shops, theatres, cinemas, licensed premises and land tenure
matters. It is responsible for Scottish aspects of devolution.
In addition to the main departments, there are a number of other Scottish
departments, all of which work in varying degrees under the direction of the
Secretary of State. Such departments include the Department of the Registrar-
General for Scotland (the General Register Office); the Scottish Record Office;
and the Department of the Registers of Scotland. There are also Scottish
branches of the Great Britain and United Kingdom departments under the
direction of controllers, who are responsible for ensuring that the execution in
Scotland of the policy and procedure of their departments is in accordance with
Scottish conditions and needs.
The Law Officers of the Crown for Scotland (the Lord Advocate and the
Solicitor General for Scotland) are the chief legal advisers to the Government
on Scottish questions and the principal representatives of the Crown for the