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Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom

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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.[1] There are currently 24 ministerial departments, 20 non-ministerial departments, and 422 agencies and other public bodies, for a total of 465 departments.[2]

Ministerial departments

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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 Ref.
Attorney General's Office Ellie Reeves
Attorney General		 Douglas Wilson
Director-General		 [3][4]
Cabinet Office
Louise Haigh
First Secretary of State
Minister for the Cabinet Office
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster		 Cat Little
Permanent Secretary
Chief Operating Officer of the Civil Service		 [5][6]
Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Jonathan Reynolds
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade		 Amanda Brooks
Interim Permanent Secretary		 [7]
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport		 Susannah Storey
Permanent Secretary		 [8]
Department for Education Lucy Powell
Secretary of State for Education		 Susan Acland-Hood
Permanent Secretary		 [9][10]
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Miatta Fahnbulleh
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero		 Jonathan Brearley
Permanent Secretary
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Dame Angela Eagle
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs		 Paul Kissack
Permanent Secretary		 [11]
Department for Transport Heidi Alexander
Secretary of State for Transport		 Jo Shanmugalingam
Permanent Secretary		 [12]
Department for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions		 Dame Sarah Healey
Permanent Secretary
Department of Health and Social Care Yvette Cooper
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care		 Samantha Jones
Permanent Secretary		 [13][14]
Export Credits Guarantee Department
(trading as UK Export Finance)		 Jonathan Reynolds
President of the Board of Trade		 Tim Reid
Chief Executive		 [15][16]
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ed Miliband
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs		 Nick Dyer
Interim Permanent Under-Secretary		 [17]
HM Treasury John Healey
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Second Lord of the Treasury		 James Bowler
Permanent Secretary		 [18]
Home Office Shabana Mahmood
Secretary of State for the Home Department		 Gareth Davies
Permanent Secretary		 [19]
Ministry of Defence Wes Streeting
Secretary of State for Defence		 Jeremy Pocklington
Permanent Secretary		 [20]
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government		 Will Garton
Delegated Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Justice Alex Norris
Secretary of State for Justice
Lord Chancellor[21]		 Jo Farrar
Permanent Secretary
Clerk of the Crown in Chancery		 [22]
Northern Ireland Office Sir Chris Bryant
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland		 Julie Harrison
Permanent Secretary		 [23]
Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet[n 1] Andy Burnham
Prime Minister
First Lord of the Treasury
Minister for the Union
Minister for the Civil Service		 Dame Antonia Romeo
Cabinet Secretary
Head of the Civil Service
Office of the Advocate General for Scotland Catherine Smith, Baroness Smith of Cluny[24][25]
Advocate General for Scotland		 Neil Taylor
Director
Solicitor to the Advocate General[26]		 [27]
Office of the Leader of the House of Commons[n 1] Sir Alan Campbell[28][29]
Leader of the House of Commons
Lord President of the Council		 N/A [30]
Office of the Leader of the House of Lords[n 1] Angela Smith, Baroness Smith of Basildon[28][31]
Leader of the House of Lords
Lord Privy Seal		 N/A [32]
Scotland Office Douglas Alexander[24][33]
Secretary of State for Scotland		 Fiona Mettam
Director		 [34]
Wales Office Stephen Kinnock
Secretary of State for Wales		 Ciarán Hayes
Director		 [35]

Non-ministerial departments

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Non-ministerial government departments are headed by civil servants and usually have a regulatory or inspection function.[36] A list of all non-ministerial departments is below.[2]

Agencies and other public bodies

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Government departments in this third and final category can generally be split into five types:[37]

  • 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

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Notes

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  1. 1 2 3 Part of the Cabinet Office.

References

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  1. ↑ "How government works". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Departments, agencies and public bodies". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  3. ↑ "Attorney General". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  4. ↑ "Attorney General's Office". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  5. ↑ "Dame Antonia Romeo appointed as first female Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service to drive change and implement the government's agenda". GOV.UK. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  6. ↑ "The Cabinet Secretary has appointed Cat Little as the new Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office". GOV.UK.
  7. ↑ "Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 5 April 2019.
  9. ↑ "Secretary of State for Education". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "Susan Acland-Hood". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 22 February 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  11. ↑ "Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "Secretary of State for Transport". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  13. ↑ "Secretary of State for Health and Social Care". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 April 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  14. ↑ "Samantha Jones". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  15. ↑ "Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 23 July 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  16. ↑ "UK Export Finance". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 May 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  18. ↑ "Chancellor of the Exchequer". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  19. ↑ "Secretary of State for the Home Department". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  20. ↑ "Secretary of State for Defence". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  21. ↑ "Responsibilities: Oversight of all portfolios and Ministry of Justice strategy"
  22. ↑ "Dr Jo Farrar CB OBE". GOV.UK.
  23. ↑ "Permanent Secretary for the Northern Ireland Office". Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  24. 1 2 "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."
  25. ↑ "HM Advocate General for Scotland - GOV.UK". gov.uk.
  26. ↑ "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."
  27. ↑ "Office of the Advocate General for Scotland". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  28. 1 2 "List of Ministerial Responsibilities Including Executive Agencies and Non-Ministerial Departments" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. July 2023.
  29. ↑ "About us". Office of the Leader of the House of Commons. gov.uk.
  30. ↑ "Office of the Leader of the House of Commons". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  31. ↑ "About us".
  32. ↑ "Office of the Leader of the House of Lords". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  33. ↑ "Secretary of State for Scotland - GOV.UK". gov.uk.
  34. ↑ "Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  35. ↑ "Office of the Secretary of State for Wales". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 22 January 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  36. ↑ "How government works". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  37. ↑ "How government works". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
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