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Frequently Asked Questions

Are the Northern Ireland Office, the Scotland Office and the Wales Office branch offices of the devolved administrations?

No. They are collectively known as the territorial offices and are an integral part of the UK Government like other Whitehall departments. They are not part of the devolved administrations. Their responsibility is to ensure the interests of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are represented in HM Government and to ensure the smooth running of the devolution settlement.

I am a UK Government official. Where do I go for further guidance?

The most comprehensive set of guidance available on devolution can be found here.

Do the devolved administrations have their own civil services?

The Scottish and Welsh administrations are staffed by members of the Home Civil Service. There are separate civil service codes for Scottish and Welsh administrations, very similar to the code for the rest of the Home Civil service, but making clear that civil servants in those administrations are accountable entirely to devolved ministers.

The Northern Ireland Executive is supported by members of a separate civil service, the Northern Ireland civil service (NICS), which dates back to the foundation of the original devolved administration in Northern Ireland in 1921. It has its own civil service code. The Northern Ireland Office is staffed by Home Civil Servants, along with members of the NICS on loan to it.

Who are the ministers responsible for devolution?

The Ministers in the UK Government with major responsibilities for devolution are:

The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, who has overall responsibility for devolution strategy, assisted by Michael Wills MP;
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, assisted by Paul Goggins MP;
The Secretary of State for Scotland, assisted by Ann McKechin MP;
The Secretary of State for Wales, assisted by Wayne David MP (the Welsh Secretary, in addition to his responsibilities for Wales, also oversees the work of the Joint Ministerial Committee);
The Attorney General, assisted by the Solicitor General, and the Advocate General for Scotland.

For ministers of devolved administrations, see:

• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• Wales