About us

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland supports the Secretary of State in promoting the best interests of Scotland within a stronger United Kingdom. It ensures Scottish interests are fully and effectively represented at the heart of the UK government, and the UK government’s responsibilities are fully and effectively represented in Scotland.

This information page was withdrawn on

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland is now known as Scotland Office. This page is no longer current. Instead, see Scotland Office’s ‘About us’ page.

Objectives

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland (OSSS) is the UK government’s Office for Scotland. Its role is to:

Strengthen and sustain the union

The OSSS acts as the custodian of the devolution settlement.

We will:

  • oversee the passage of legislation to deliver the Smith Commission Agreement in full
  • implement the new powers following Royal Assent of the Scotland Bill
  • work constructively with the Scottish government to ensure the effective working of the devolution settlement

Act as Scotland’s voice in Whitehall

The OSSS represents Scottish interests within government and supports the rest of government on UK matters.

We will work closely with other UK government departments to develop UK government policy that reflects Scottish interests.

Champion the UK government in Scotland

The OSSS represents and advocates for the UK government’s policies in Scotland.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland will work across government to ensure that the UK government communicates effectively with people in Scotland, ensuring that as one of Scotland’s two governments, the UK government is visible and accessible.

Find out more about the UK government’s commitments to the people of Scotland.

Corporate information

Jobs and contracts

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