Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom

{{#invoke: Sidebar | collapsible |name = Politics of the United Kingdom |bodyclass = vcard hlist |pretitle= This article is part of a series on |title = Politics of the United Kingdom |image = |listtitlestyle = text-align:left; background:lavender; | heading1 = | expanded = | wraplinks = true | style = width:20em; | liststyle = text-align:centre | list1name = | list1title = Constitution | list1 =

• Magna Carta
• Bill of Rights
• Treaty of Union (Acts of Union)
• Parliamentary sovereignty
• Rule of law
• Separation of powers
• Other constitutional principles

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• The Monarch (list)

King Charles III

• Heir apparent

William, Prince of Wales

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• Royal family
• Succession
• Prerogative
• Counsellors of State
• Republicanism in the United Kingdom

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• Privy Council

Charles III
(King-in-Council)

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• HM Government

• Cabinet (list)
  

Starmer ministry (L)

• Prime Minister (list)
  

Keir Starmer (L)

• Deputy Prime Minister
  

David Lammy (L)

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• Departments
• Ministers
• Agencies

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• UK Parliament

(King-in-Parliament)

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• King

Charles III

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• House of Lords

• Lord Speaker
  The Lord McFall of Alcluith

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• House of Commons

• Speaker
  Sir Lindsay Hoyle

• Leader of the Opposition
  Kemi Badenoch (C)
  

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• 59th Parliament
• Opposition
• MPs
  • List of MPs

| list5name = judiciary | list5title = Judiciary | list5 = Charles III
(King-on-the-Bench)

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• Supreme Court

• President

The Lord Reed

• Deputy President

The Lord Hodge

• Justices of the Supreme Court

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• United Kingdom
• England and Wales
• Scotland
• Northern Ireland

| list6name = Central bank | list6title = Bank of England | list6 =

• Governor

Andrew Bailey

• Deputy governors

Monetary Policy Committee

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• Currencies
• Banknotes
• Coins

| list7name = elections | list7title = Elections and referendums | list7 =

• Censorship
• UK Parliament constituencies (2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies)
• Political parties
• Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
• Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022
• Scottish Parliament constituencies and electoral regions
• Senedd constituencies and electoral regions

UK general elections

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• 1801 co-option
• 1802
• 1806
• 1807
• 1812
• 1818
• 1820
• 1826
• 1830
• 1831
• 1832–33
• 1835
• 1837
• 1841
• 1847
• 1852
• 1857
• 1859
• 1865
• 1868
• 1874
• 1880
• 1885
• 1886
• 1892
• 1895
• 1900
• 1906
• 1910 (Jan–Feb)
• 1910 (Dec)
• 1918
• 1922
• 1923
• 1924
• 1929
• 1931
• 1935
• 1945
• 1950
• 1951
• 1955
• 1959
• 1964
• 1966
• 1970
• 1974 (Feb)
• 1974 (Oct)
• 1979
• 1983
• 1987
• 1992
• 1997
• 2001
• 2005
• 2010
• 2015
• 2017
• 2019
• 2024

Endorsements

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• 2010
• 2015
• 2017
• 2019
• 2024

European Parliament elections (1979–2019)

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• 1979
• 1984
• 1989
• 1994
• 1999
• 2004
• 2009
• 2014
• 2019

Scottish Parliament elections

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• 1999
• 2003
• 2007
• 2011
• 2016
• 2021
• Next

Northern Ireland Assembly elections

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• 1998
• 2003
• 2007
• 2011
• 2016
• 2017
• 2022
• Next

Senedd elections

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• 1999
• 2003
• 2007
• 2011
• 2016
• 2021
• Next

UK referendums

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• 1975
• 2011
• 2016

| list8name = devolution | list8title = Devolution | list8 =

• Intergovernmental relations in the United Kingdom
• Legislative consent motions
• Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council
• Council of the Nations and Regions

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England

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• Governance of England
• English votes for English laws
• Greater London Authority
  • 1998 referendum
  • Greater London Authority Act 1999
    (2007 Act)
• Mayor of London
  • Sadiq Khan
• Mayoral cabinet
• London Assembly
• London Plan
• Combined authorities
  • Metro mayors

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Northern Ireland

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• Northern Ireland Act 1998
  (2006 Act)
• First Minister
  • Michelle O'Neill
• Deputy First Minister
  • Emma Little-Pengelly
• Executive
• Assembly
• Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly
• Law of Northern Ireland

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Scotland

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• Scottish devolution
• 1997 referendum
• Scotland Act 1998
  (2012 Act, 2016 Act)
• First Minister
  • John Swinney
• Government
• Scottish Parliament
• Act of the Scottish Parliament
• Scottish statutory instrument
• Scots law

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Wales

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• Welsh devolution
• 1997 referendum
  (2011 referendum on law-making powers)
• Government of Wales Act 1998
  (2006 Act, Wales Act 2014, Wales Act 2017)
• First Minister
  • Eluned Morgan
• Government
• Senedd
• Measure of the National Assembly for Wales (1999–2011)
• Act of Senedd Cymru
• Welsh law

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England

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• History
• Subdivisions: Regions
• Ceremonial counties (list)
• Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties
  • Metropolitan county
  • Non-metropolitan county
  • Greater London
• Unitary authorities (list)
• Districts (list)
  • Metropolitan Borough
  • Non-metropolitan District
  • London Borough
• Civil parishes (list)
• Historic counties

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Northern Ireland

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• History
• Subdivisions: Counties
• Districts

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Scotland

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• History
• Subdivisions: Sheriffdoms
• Council areas
• Community council areas
• Civil parishes
• Shires of Scotland

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Wales

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• History
• Preserved counties
• Principal areas
• Communities (list)
• Historic counties

| list10name = crown dependencies | list10title = Crown Dependencies | list10 =

• Bailiwick of Guernsey
  
  • Guernsey
  • Alderney
  • Sark

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• Bailiwick of Jersey

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• Isle of Man

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• British Islands
• Common Travel Area
• UK-CD Customs Union

| list11name = overseas territories | list11title = Overseas Territories

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• Akrotiri and Dhekelia
• Anguilla
• Bermuda
• British Antarctic Territory
• British Indian Ocean Territory
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Falkland Islands
• Gibraltar
• Montserrat
• Pitcairn Islands
• Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
  • Saint Helena
  • Ascension Island
  • Tristan da Cunha
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
• Turks and Caicos Islands

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• British Overseas Territories citizen
• Visa requirements
• Visa policies

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• British Overseas Territories Act 2002
• UK-OT JMC
• Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute
• Gibraltar sovereignty dispute
• Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute

| list12name = Foreign | list12title = Foreign relations | list12 =

• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
• Foreign policy (history)

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• Diplomatic missions of / in the United Kingdom

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• UK passport
  • British National (Overseas) passport
• Visa requirements
• UK–CD Customs Union
• Visa policy
• Free trade agreements

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• Australia
• Barbados
• Belgium
• Belize
• Brunei
• Canada
• China
  • Hong Kong
• Cyprus
• Denmark
• France
• Germany
• India
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Kenya
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Russia
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• Spain
• South Africa
• Palestine
• Pakistan
• Poland
• Portugal
• United States
• Zimbabwe

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• Ireland
  • politics of Northern Ireland
  • Good Friday Agreement
  • UK–Ireland border
  • Northern Ireland Protocol
  • British–Irish Council

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• European Union (history)
  • Brexit
  • Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union
  • UK–EU withdrawal agreement

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• The Commonwealth
  • member states

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• United Kingdom and the United Nations
  • United Nations Security Council
    • P5

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• NATO
• G20
• G7

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• {{#invoke:flag|icon|ENG}} England
• Template:Flagicon image Northern Ireland
• {{#invoke:flag|icon|SCO}} Scotland
• {{#invoke:flag|icon|WAL}} Wales

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The Government of the United Kingdom is divided into departments that each have responsibility, according to the government, for putting government policy into practice.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There are currently 24 ministerial departments, 20 non-ministerial departments, and 422 agencies and other public bodies, for a total of 465 departments.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Ministerial departments

Ministerial departments are generally the most high-profile government departments and differ from the other two types of government departments in that they include ministers. A list of all ministerial departments is shown below.

Ministerial department	Minister responsible		Civil servant responsible	Template:Tooltip
Attorney General's Office		Richard Hermer, Baron Hermer Attorney General	Douglas Wilson Director-General	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Cabinet Office		Darren Jones Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for Intergovernmental Relations	Sir Chris Wormald Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service Catherine Little Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Department for Business and Trade		Peter Kyle Secretary of State for Business and Trade, President of the Board of Trade	Gareth Davies Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Department for Culture, Media and Sport		Lisa Nandy Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport	Susannah Storey Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Department for Education		Bridget Phillipson Secretary of State for Education, Minister for Women and Equalities	Susan Acland-Hood Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero		Ed Miliband Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero	Jeremy Pocklington Permanent Secretary
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs		Emma Reynolds Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	Paul Kissack Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology		Liz Kendall Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology	Emran Mian Permanent Secretary
Department for Transport		Heidi Alexander Secretary of State for Transport	Jo Shanmugalingam Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Department for Work and Pensions		Pat McFadden Secretary of State for Work and Pensions	Sir Peter Schofield Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Department of Health and Social Care		Wes Streeting Secretary of State for Health and Social Care	Samantha Jones Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Export Credits Guarantee Department (trading as UK Export Finance)		Peter Kyle President of the Board of Trade	Tim Reid Chief Executive	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office		Yvette Cooper Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs	Sir Olly Robbins Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HM Treasury		Rachel Reeves Chancellor of the Exchequer	James Bowler Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Home Office		Shabana Mahmood Secretary of State for the Home Department	Dame Antonia Romeo Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Ministry of Defence		John Healey Secretary of State for Defence	David Williams Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government		Steve Reed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government	Dame Sarah Healey Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Ministry of Justice		David Lammy Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice,<ref>"Responsibilities: Oversight of all portfolios and Ministry of Justice strategy" [1]</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Deputy Prime Minister	Jo Farrar Permanent Secretary and Clerk of the Crown in Chancery	<ref>"Dr Jo Farrar CB OBE"</ref>
Northern Ireland Office		Hilary Benn Secretary of State for Northern Ireland	Julie Harrison Permanent Secretary	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Office of the Advocate General for Scotland	Error creating thumbnail:	Catherine Smith, Baroness Smith of Cluny<ref name="auto1">"The Scotland Office and Office of the Advocate General for Scotland report to the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Advocate General for Scotland respectively." [2]</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Advocate General for Scotland	Neil Taylor Director and Solicitor to the Advocate General<ref>"The Director of OAG is responsible for overseeing all legal services provided by OAG to the UK government, and for overseeing delivery of OAG's objectives as set out in its Business Plan." [3]</ref>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Office of the Leader of the House of Commons<ref name=":0" group="n">Part of the Cabinet Office.</ref>	File:Alan Campbell Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (cropped).jpg	Sir Alan Campbell<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Lord President of the Council, Leader of the House of Commons	N/A	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Office of the Leader of the House of Lords<ref name=":0" group="n" />	File:The Baroness Smith of Basildon 2024 (cropped) 2.jpg	Angela Smith, Baroness Smith of Basildon<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Lord Privy Seal, Leader of the House of Lords	N/A	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Scotland Office	File:Official portrait of Douglas Alexander MP crop 2, 2024.jpg	Douglas Alexander<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Secretary of State for Scotland	Laurence Rockey Director	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Wales Office	File:Jo Stevens Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (cropped) 2.jpg	Jo Stevens Secretary of State for Wales	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Non-ministerial departments

Non-ministerial departments are headed by civil servants and usually have a regulatory or inspection function.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A list of all non-ministerial departments is shown below.

Non-ministerial department	Template:Tooltip
The Charity Commission	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Competition and Markets Authority	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Crown Prosecution Service	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Food Standards Agency	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Forestry Commission	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Government Actuary's Department	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Government Legal Department	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
HM Land Registry	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
HM Revenue & Customs	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
NS&I	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
The National Archives	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
National Crime Agency	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Office of Rail and Road	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Ofgem	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Ofqual	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Ofsted	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Serious Fraud Office	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
UK Statistics Authority	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
The Water Services Regulation Authority	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}

Agencies and other public bodies

Government departments in this third and final category can generally be split into five types:<ref name=":0" />

• Executive agencies, which usually provide government services rather than decide policy
• Executive non-departmental public bodies, which do work for the government in specific areas
• Advisory non-departmental public bodies, which provide independent and expert advice to ministers
• Tribunal non-departmental public bodies, which are part of the justice system and have jurisdiction over a specific area of the law
• Independent monitoring boards, which are responsible for the running of prisons and the treatment of prisoners

See also

• Office of the Prime Minister
• Politics of the United Kingdom
• Civil Service

External links

• How government works - GOV.UK
• Departments, agencies and public bodies - GOV.UK