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The Scottish Government
The devolved government for Scotland is responsible for most of the issues of day-to-day concern to the people of Scotland, including health, education, justice, rural affairs, and transport.
What is devolution?
Devolution is the transfer of powers from a central body to devolved administrations. The UK Parliament at Westminster has devolved different powers to the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Under the terms of the Scotland Act 1998, the Scottish Parliament is able to pass laws on a range of issues. The Act also gives the Scottish Parliament the power to raise or lower the basic rate of income tax by up to 3 pence in the pound.
Devolved matters include Education, Health (the NHS in Scotland), Agriculture and Justice. The Scotland Act also specifies certain issues on which the Scottish Parliament cannot pass legislation. These are known as reserved matters and include Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security.
For more detailed information see the devolution section.
"Devolution established the Scottish Parliament with responsibility for devolved matters while the UK Parliament remains responsible for 'reserved matters' in Scotland.
The Scottish Parliament has full legislative competence (in other words, it can pass both primary and secondary legislation) across a wide range of devolved subjects.
The Scottish Government is the devolved administration led by a First Minister, elected by the Scottish Parliament, who appoints a Cabinet of Scottish Ministers.
The 1998 Scotland Act does not set out devolved subjects but instead lists 'reserved matters' for which the UK Parliament retains responsibility. By definition, devolved matters on which the Parliament can legislate are all those which are not specifically reserved (with certain provisos set out in the Act).
Devolved issues include:
health
education and training
local government
social work
housing
planning
tourism, economic development and financial assistance to industry
some aspects of transport, including the Scottish road network, bus policy and ports and harbours
law and home affairs, including most aspects of criminal and civil law, the prosecution system and the courts
the Police and Fire services
the environment
natural and built heritage
agriculture, forestry and fishing
sport and the arts
statistics, public registers and records"
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Factfile/18060/11552
"The UK Parliament continues to legislate for Scotland on reserved matters. There are currently 72 members in the UK Parliament representing constituencies in Scotland. It may also legislate on devolved matters in Scotland. However, in accordance with the so-called Sewel Convention, a principle has been adopted whereby "The UK Parliament will not normally legislate in relation to devolved matters in Scotland without the agreement of the Scottish Parliament".
The Scottish Parliament can agree the incorporation of legislative provisions affecting Scotland in devolved areas by what is called a 'Sewel Motion'. This enables the Scottish Parliament to agree that Westminster should legislate for Scotland on devolved matters where, for example, it is considered sensible and appropriate to put in place a single UK-wide regime or where the Parliament supports the proposed legislation but no Parliamentary time is available because of separate Scottish priorities.
Reserved issues include:
constitutional matters
UK foreign policy
UK defence and national security
fiscal, economic and monetary System
immigration and nationality
energy: electricity, coal, gas and nuclear energy
common markets
trade and industry, including competition and customer protection
some aspects of transport, including railways, transport safety and regulation
employment legislation
social security
gambling and the National Lottery
data protection
abortion, human fertilisation and embryology, genetics, xenotransplantation and vivisection
equal opportunities
The Scotland Act lists, in Schedule 5, the matters that are reserved. Any matter not so reserved, or otherwise defined in the Act as being outwith the competence of the Parliament, is devolved."
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Factfile/18060/11555
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