Scottish Government Environment Directorates

Scotland

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The Scottish Government Rural Affairs, Environment and Services Directorates was a group of civil service Directorates in the Scottish Government until a December 2010 re-organisation.

The Environment Directorates reported to the Director-General, Paul Gray.^[1]

A general concordat, drawn up in 1999, set out agreed frameworks for co-operation between the Environment Directorates and the United Kingdom government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs^[2] and there is another specifically on the subject of genetically modified organisms.^[3]

After December 2010 many of the department's responsibilities became those of the Scottish Government Enterprise and Environment Directorate.

Ministers

The political responsibilities of the Directorates were those of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead MSP, whose responsibilities include: agriculture, fisheries and rural development including aquaculture and forestry, environment and natural heritage, land reform, water quality regulation and sustainable development. He was supported by the Minister for Environment, Roseanna Cunningham MSP.^[4]

Directorates

The over-arching Scottish Government Directorates, including the Environment Directorates were preceded by similar structures called "Departments" that no longer exist (although the word is still sometimes used in this context).^[5] As an over-arching set of Directorates, the Environment Directorates incorporate a number of individual Directorates entitled:

• Rural (including Agriculture & Rural Development, Animal Health & Welfare, Landscapes & Habitats, Rural Communities, Food Industry Unit, Special Project Leader for Agriculture & Climate Change and Veterinary).
• Marine Scotland (including Aquaculture,Freshwater Fisheries & Licensing Policy, Performance, Science, Planning & Policy, Compliance and Sea Fisheries Policy).
• Rural and Environment Research and Analysis (including Rural & Environment Analytical Services and Research & Science).
• Rural Payments & Inspections (including IT & Business Support, Common Agricultural Policy Payments, Agricultural Services, Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture and Regional Delivery).
• Environmental Quality (including Waste & Pollution Reduction, Drinking Water Quality and Water, Air, Soils & Flooding).
• Greener Scotland.^[6]

Agencies and other bodies

The Directorates are responsible for one agency:

• Forestry Commission Scotland

The Directorates also sponsor several non-departmental public bodies including:

• Cairngorms National Park Authority
• Crofters Commission
• Deer Commission for Scotland
• Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority
• Macaulay Institute
• Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• Scottish Natural Heritage

The Rural Development Council was set up in 2008 to advise the Cabinet Secretary on rural affairs and to "consider how best rural Scotland can contribute to the creation of a more successful country, through increasing sustainable economic growth".^[7]

History

Prior to the Environment Directorates' creation in 2007, many of their responsibilities were undertaken by the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD).

See also

• Elin Jones Minister for Rural Affairs in Wales
• Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in Ireland

References

1. ^ "DG-Environment". Scottish Government. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
2. ^ Devolution: Main Concordat between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Scottish Executive. DEFRA. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
3. ^ "Concordat on the Implementation of Directive 2001/18/EC and Regulation 1946/2003/EC" Scottish Government. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
4. ^ "Scottish Cabinet and Ministers" Scottish Government. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
5. ^ "Reporting on 100 Days: Moving Scotland forward" Scottish Government. Retrieved 15 August 2009. "A new structure for Scotland's Government has been put in place, transforming the Departmental structure, moving from 9 Heads of Department, to a Strategic Board with the Permanent Secretary and five Directors General (DG), with each DG having responsibility for driving one of the Government's strategic objectives. Directors-General focus on the performance of the whole organisation against the Cabinet's agenda. The new structure means that the old Scottish Executive Departments no longer exist. Instead, each DG supports and manages a number of Directors, with these Directorates leading, presenting and developing policy for Ministers."
6. ^ Scottish Government Senior Management Structure (pdf) Scottish Government. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
7. ^ "Scotland Rural Development Council" Scottish Government. Retrieved 27 July 2009.

External links

• Scottish Government Senior Management Structure (pdf)