Public bodies of the Scottish Government (Scottish Gaelic: Buidhnean Poblach Riaghaltas na h-Alba) 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.[1]
The Scottish Government is responsible for appointing a board of directors to run public bodies. The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland is responsible for regulating the process.
Public bodies are assigned "sponsoring departments" who provide funding in the form of grant-in-aid to assist with running costs and capital investment. Most public bodies also have other sources of income (for example the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh receives income from charging the public to visit the greenhouses in its gardens).
Non-ministerial offices are staffed by civil servants, but do not form part of the Scottish Government. They are accountable to, and funded by the Scottish Parliament, and publish their own annual reports and accounts. Each office is headed by a board or statutory officeholder(s) appointed by the Scottish Government.[2][3]
Executive NDPBs carry out work on behalf of government but do not form part of it, nor are they directly accountable to parliament. They operate within a framework of governance and accountability set by Ministers; often this is defined in specific legislation setting up each body. They employ their own staff, who are not civil servants.[2][4]
Advisory NDPBs are similar to Executive NDPBs, but do not undertake activities directly. They provide independent expert advice to the government and others in relation to particular subject. They do not normally employ staff, with administrative support usually being provided by civil servants.[2][5]
Tribunals undertake judicial functions, but do not form part of the court system. They are independent of government, and are not responsible for budgets or expenditure other than remuneration for tribunal members.[2][6]
Public corporations are companies which recover more than 50% of their costs through commercial activities. They are managed by a board whose members are appointed by the government. Public corporations employ their own staff (who are not civil servants) and manage their own budgets.[2][7]
Executive agencies form 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.[2][8]
Commissioners and ombudsmen are responsible for monitoring the actions of government and public boards. They are responsible to parliament, and appointed by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in order to ensure their independence from government.[2][9]
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Advisory non-departmental public bodies of the Scottish Government
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| Devolved tribunals |
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| Reserved tribunals |
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| Tribunal administration |
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