Devolved and reserved powers in Scotland
The powers of the Scottish Parliament have been To transfer power to another from the UK Parliament. These were set out in the The Act of Parliament that outlined the setting up of the Scottish Parliament and Administration and other changes to how Scotland is governed. However, the UK Parliament still takes decisions for Scotland in some areas.
Which powers have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament?
- Health - the The National Health Service (NHS) is a free health care system in the UK. in Scotland (hospitals, GP services etc)
- Education â nurseries, schools, colleges and universities
- Local Government â responsibility for 32 local councils to deliver services such as roads and social care
- Law and order â criminal law, civil law, the police, court and prison services, the fire service
- Environment â environmental protection, flood prevention etc
- Sports and the Arts â promotion of sports, museums, historic buildings etc
- Social security â some powers over top-up benefits
- Taxation â control over part of Scotland's Tax that someone pays based on their personal income (the money that they earn). and Value-added tax. A government tax added to the cost of most goods and services. As of 2015 the usual rate is 20%, while a reduced rate of 5% is charged on some goods and services, eg home energy.
Which powers are reserved to the UK Parliament?
- Constitutional Affairs â decisions on devolution for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Defence â the Army, Navy and Air Force
- Foreign Affairs â relations with other countries eg the EU or USA
- Economic Policy â some taxes including business tax
- Social Security â control of reserved benefits: universal credit, tax credits
- Other â immigration, and drug control and classification
What is the Scotland Act 2012?
As a result of the Scotland Act 2012, the Scottish Parliament can vary the rate of Scottish tax by 10% and has borrowing powers of up to ÂŁ5 billion.
What is the Scotland Act 2016?
After the 2014 independence referendum, the Scottish Parliament was given more powers. This included control over all rates and bands for Scottish Income Tax, VAT receipts, welfare and benefits. This is an addition to the powers given as part of the Scotland Act 2012.