As of March 2019, 295 public bodies were in operation across the UK government. Most public bodies within the United Kingdom are established and operated by the government, with varying levels of autonomy and ministerial responsibility according to their classification. Brexit means that many functions previously carried out by EU agencies will become the responsibility of existing UK bodies. A number of new public bodies are also being created to manage additional responsibilities after EU exit.
Documents to download
-
Scottish Devolution: Section 30 Orders (1 MB, PDF)
A section 30 Order is a type of subordinate or secondary legislation which is made under the Scotland Act 1998. It can be used to increase or restrict – temporarily or permanently – the Scottish Parliament’s legislative authority. It does this by altering the list of “reserved powers” set out in Schedule 5, and/or the protections against modification set out in Schedule 4 of that Act.
Such Orders have been used several times since 1999. The most high-profile example was the Scotland Act 1998 (Modification of Schedule 5) Order 2013, which temporarily devolved authority to legislate for a Scottish independence referendum. This took place on 18 September 2014.
Section 30 Orders can be initiated either by the Scottish or UK Governments but require approval by the House of Commons, House of Lords and the Scottish Parliament before becoming law. There are equivalent provisions in the Government of Wales Act 2006 and Northern Ireland Act 1998.
In March 2017, the Scottish Government requested a section 30 Order in order to legislate for a second independence referendum but the UK Government refused. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon renewed her request during 2019, as the Scottish Parliament considered what became the Referendums (Scotland) Act 2020.
Documents to download
-
Scottish Devolution: Section 30 Orders (1 MB, PDF)
Related posts
-
-
This paper provides details and links for ministerial statements and parliamentary debates (from both Houses of Parliament) that cover international affairs and defence.
-
This list attempts to capture all instances where an apology has been made on the floor of the House of Commons since 1979
