Find out about the powers of the Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament.
The Scottish Parliament has power to make laws on a range of issues known as devolved matters.
Devolved matters include:
This includes most aspects of animal welfare but it does not include animal testing and research.
Some aspects including:
Consumer Advice Scotland provides advice on consumer issues.
Managing the Crown Estate’s economic assets in Scotland.
Including Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, as well as inward investment.
Including
Some aspects including
Scottish Parliament and local government elections.
Including
Some aspects such as the appointment of non-executives to the boards of Scottish public bodies
Scottish Ministers are able to set the maximum number of fixed odds betting terminals allowed on betting premises. This power applies only to applications for new betting shops.
Including the NHS, mental health, abortion, and social care
Including policy and building control
Including civil justice, civil law and procedure, courts, criminal justice, criminal law and procedure, the police, debt and bankruptcy, family law, legal aid, the legal profession, and property law
Including
Some aspects including:
Including VisitScotland and the promotion of major events
Including
Some issues that have a UK or international impact remain the responsibility of the UK Parliament alone. These are known as reserved matters.
Reserved matters are set out in Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998 (opens in new tab)
Reserved matters include:
Some aspects including:
With the exception of setting the number of fixed odds betting terminals in new betting premises
Some aspects of the constitution, including the Crown, the Union, the UK Parliament, the existence of the (criminal) High Court of Justiciary and the existence of the (civil) Court of Session.
Including product standards and product safety (except in relation to food)
Most aspects including
Including banking and investment business
Some aspects including VAT rates, fuel duty, income tax (with some exceptions) and corporation tax
Some aspects including