Government Departments

The Government of the United Kingdom contains a number of ministries known mainly, though not exclusively as departments, each responsible for a particular sphere of the country’s life, e.g. Ministry of Defence. Government departments are staffed by politically neutral civil servants and are headed by ministers. They are the main instruments for implementing government policy when Parliament has passed the necessary legislation, and for advising ministers.

The most important departments are called:

· The Treasury (in most countries, this would be called the Ministry of Finance; it is responsible for the raising of all taxes and the control of all government expenditure plus the general management of the economy; the Head of the Treasury is called the Chancellor of the Exchequer).

· The Home Office (in most countries, this would be called the Ministry of the Interior; it is responsible for criminal matters, policing, and immigration; the Head of the Home Office is called the Home Secretary).

· The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (in most countries, this would be called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; it is responsible for all international relationships, especially the membership of the European Union; the Head of the Foreign Office is called the Foreign Secretar y).

Many other UK Government Departments cover subjects such as education, health, transport, industry, and justice. However, in UK there are also departments for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.