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 national government but are not part of a government department. NDPBs carry out their work largely independently from ministers and are accountable to the public through Parliament; however, ministers are responsible for the independence, effectiveness and efficiency of non-departmental public bodies in their portfolio.
NatureScot is the operating name for the body formally called Scottish Natural Heritage. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and scenic diversity. It advises the Scottish Government on nature conservation, and acts as a government agent in the delivery of conservation designations, i.e. national nature reserves, local nature reserves, national parks, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and the national scenic areas. It receives annual funding from the Government in the form of Grant in Aid to deliver Government priorities for the natural heritage.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is a department of His Majesty's Government, with responsibility for culture and sport in England, and some aspects of the media throughout the UK, such as broadcasting.
Executive agencies are established by ministers as part of Scottish Government to carry out a discrete area of work. They form an integral 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.
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 ("quangoes"); tribunals; and nationalised industries. 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, although executive agencies are listed in the Scottish Government's directory of national public bodies alongside other public bodies.
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) was an executive non-departmental public body of the UK government, established in 1999. It was funded by both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Communities and Local Government. It was merged into the Design Council on 1 April 2011.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise is the development agency for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. Its role is to "help build a prosperous, sustainable and inclusive economy across the Highlands and Islands, attracting more people to live, work, study, invest and visit."
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 and became fully operational on 1 April 1996, taking over responsibility for the existing system of Children's Reporters.
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is the national skills agency of Scotland. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government.
Historic England is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with protecting the historic environment of England by preserving and listing historic buildings, scheduling ancient monuments, registering historic parks and gardens and by advising central and local government.
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 previously exercised by the Law Society.
The Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) (Scottish Gaelic: Coimisean Gnìomhachas Uisge na h-Alba) is the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry in Scotland. Established in 2005, it is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government with statutory responsibilities.
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.
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.
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) Order (No.59).
Scottish Canals is the Scottish Government body responsible for managing the country's inland waterways. Formerly a division of British Waterways, it became a stand-alone corporation on 2 July 2012, then an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government in April 2020.
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 volunteers who sit on the panels that hear cases brought to it by the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration.
This article gives an overview of the structure of environmental and cultural conservation in Scotland, a constituent country of the United Kingdom.
Scottish Rail Holdings is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. It is the owner of ScotRail, the company which operates the majority of rail services in Scotland, which has been in public ownership since 1 April 2022. As operator of last resort, Scottish Rail Holdings exists to provide a degree of separation between the day to day operation of ScotRail, and the strategic and policy functions of Transport Scotland.
South of Scotland Enterprise is the development agency for southern Scotland, covering the council areas of Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government, and was established in 2020, following the passage of the South of Scotland Enterprise Act 2019.
