What is devolution?
The nutshell
Devolution means moving some power from the UK Parliament in London to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Each of these nations has its own parliament or assembly that can make laws on things like schools and hospitals.
Every fact on this page comes from official rules and non-partisan explainers. Each source tag — like HoC — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
What devolution means
Devolution means moving some power from the UK Parliament in London to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Each of these nations got a parliament or assembly that can make its own laws.HoC The word devolved means power that has been passed down.
The three law-making bodies
Scotland has the Scottish Parliament. Wales has the Senedd, which is also called the Welsh Parliament. Northern Ireland has the Northern Ireland Assembly.Parl Each one has members that voters elect, and each can make laws in the areas given to it.
Devolved and reserved powers
The areas a devolved body looks after are called devolved powers. These often include health, schools, and transport. Some powers stay with the UK Parliament instead. These are called reserved powers, and these include defence and foreign affairs.GOV
Where devolution came from
Devolution began in the late 1990s. Voters in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland chose it, and new laws set up each parliament or assembly. Since then, more powers have moved to the devolved bodies over time.IfG
- Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each have a parliament or assembly that can make laws in devolved areas
- Devolved areas often include health, schools, and transport, so these are run closer to home
- Devolution began after people in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland voted for it in the late 1990s
- Devolution is not the same as full independence, because the UK Parliament stays in charge of the whole UK
- The three nations do not all hold exactly the same powers
- Some powers, called reserved powers, stay with the UK Parliament, such as defence and foreign affairs
The deep end6 min
What devolution is, in full
Devolution is the transfer of power from the UK Parliament at Westminster to law-making bodies in other parts of the UK. The House of Commons Library describes it as moving power from the centre to the nations of the UK.HoC Devolution created the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament), and the Northern Ireland Assembly. The UK Parliament still stays in charge of the whole UK, so devolution is not the same as independence.
How power is split
The current system uses a reserved powers model. Under this model, a power is devolved unless a law lists it as reserved. Reserved powers are kept by the UK Parliament and include defence and foreign affairs, according to GOV.UK.GOV Devolved powers, such as health and education, are run by the devolved bodies.
Why the nations differ
Devolution in the UK is not identical everywhere. GOV.UK notes that some reserved matters are common to all three devolved legislatures, while others are not.GOV This means Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland do not all hold exactly the same powers. Each devolved body is set up by its own Act of Parliament.
How devolution has grown
The Institute for Government records that, over the past two decades, a range of powers and funding has moved from Whitehall and Westminster to the devolved administrations in Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast.IfG The set of devolved powers is not fixed. New laws can add to it or change it. The topics on reserved and devolved powers and on who runs what look at these questions in more detail.