Who runs what, and where
The nutshell
In the UK, different levels of government run different things. The UK Parliament decides some matters for the whole country, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each run many matters at home, and local councils look after local services like bins and roads.
Every fact on this page comes from official guides and non-partisan explainers. Each source tag — like Parl — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
Three levels run different things
In the UK, more than one group runs the place where people live. The UK Parliament at Westminster makes some decisions for the whole country. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have a national parliament or assembly. A local council looks after local services in each area.EC
What the devolved parliaments run
Devolution moved power from the UK Parliament to a Scottish Parliament, a Welsh Parliament called the Senedd, and a Northern Ireland Assembly. Each body decides many everyday matters in its nation, like health and schools, according to the House of Commons Library.HoC
What stays with the UK Parliament
Some matters are kept for the whole UK. These are called reserved matters. Defence and foreign affairs are two examples, decided by the UK Parliament at Westminster.Parl England has no separate devolved parliament, so the UK Parliament makes these everyday decisions for England too.
What local councils run
A local council runs day-to-day services in one area. The Electoral Commission says councils look after things like rubbish and recycling collection, local roads, schools and planning decisions.EC People vote for local councillors to run the council.
- Health and education are mostly run by the devolved bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, not by the UK Parliament, according to the House of Commons Library
- Local councils, not Parliament, run day-to-day services like rubbish collection, local roads and planning, says the Electoral Commission
- Some matters, such as defence and foreign affairs, are always decided by the UK Parliament for the whole UK, according to UK Parliament
- England has no separate devolved parliament, so the UK Parliament makes England's health and school laws too, a point the House of Commons Library sets out
- The nations do not all have the same powers, and Scotland can set some taxes that Northern Ireland cannot, the House of Commons Library notes
- A local council is not a devolved parliament, and it runs local services rather than a nation's health or school laws, according to the Electoral Commission
The deep end6 min
The reserved powers model
The three devolved parliaments work on what is called the reserved powers model. UK law lists the matters kept for the UK Parliament. Anything not on that list is usually devolved, according to the House of Commons Library.HoCSo health, education and many local matters are run by the devolved body, while the listed matters stay at Westminster.
The nations do not all have the same powers
Devolution is not the same in every nation. The Institute for Government says a range of powers and funding have been passed from the UK government and Parliament to the devolved governments in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.IfGThe amount of power differs. For example, Scotland can set some taxes that are still reserved in Northern Ireland, according to the House of Commons Library.HoC
Local councils and the different types
Local councils are a separate level again. The Electoral Commission explains that a county council covers a large area and runs about 80% of local services, like schools, roads and social care. A district council runs more local services, like rubbish and recycling. Some areas have one unitary council that does both.EC
Why the picture can look complicated
Because power is shared across these levels, the body in charge of a matter can differ from nation to nation. The House of Commons Library describes this as an asymmetricsystem, meaning the parts of the UK do not all have the same powers.HoC