Whether it will provide details of how the Scottish Office has been reorganised, what was the rationale behind this reorganisation and whet…

An organisation chart will be provided to SPICe shortly. A brief summary of the new structure follows:The Scottish Office Departments | Scottish Executive Departments
Home Department | Justice Department
Department of Health | Health Department
Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department | Rural Affairs Department
Development Department | Development Department
Education Department | Education Department
Business and Industry Department | Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department
Finance Group | Finance
Corporate Services | Corporate Services
Executive Secretariat | Executive Secretariat
Changes in the structure and titles of Departments making up the Scottish Executive reflect more closely the devolution settlement, the portfolios of Scottish Ministers and the collective priorities of Scottish Ministers in Partnership for Scotland. These are:A new Scottish Executive Justice Department, bringing together The Scottish Office Home Department and the Scottish Courts Administration. It includes Criminal Justice Social Work while responsibility for Community Care passes to the Scottish Executive Health Department and for Children's Services to the Scottish Executive Education Department, as part of a newly created Children and Young People Group.
A Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department replacing The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department and more accurately reflecting the Ministerial priority given to rural development.
A Scottish Executive Education Department with a firm continuing focus on Primary and Secondary Education, a new broader role through the creation of the Children and Young People Group, and expanded responsibility for Culture, including the arts, cultural and built heritage, architectural policy, sport and Gaelic.
A Scottish Executive Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department comprising the Business and Industry functions of the former Scottish Office Education and Industry Department, together with responsibility for Lifelong Learning and Further and Higher Education.
The Scottish Executive Development Department will continue to be responsible for Social Inclusion, Housing, Local Government, Local Government Finance, Transport, Planning, Building Control, and European Structural Funds, with architecture and heritage issues passing to the Scottish Executive Education Department.