Devolution: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the English regions

Not every decision is made in Westminster. Since the late 1990s, some powers have been passed (devolved) to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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What is devolution?

Devolution means passing some powers from the UK Parliament to bodies in the nations or regions.
After referendums in 1997 (Scotland and Wales) and 1998 (Northern Ireland, after the Good Friday Agreement), three devolved bodies were set up.
NationDevolved bodyMeets in
ScotlandScottish ParliamentEdinburgh (Holyrood)
WalesSenedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament)Cardiff
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland AssemblyBelfast (Stormont)

Devolved and reserved powers

Devolved matters are decided by the nation's own parliament or assembly. They include most of health, education and transport.
Reserved matters stay with the UK Parliament, such as defence, foreign policy and immigration.
This is why rules can differ: for example, school systems are different in each nation.

England and the regions

England does not have its own separate parliament. Laws for England are made by the UK Parliament.
Some English areas have elected mayors with extra powers over things like transport and housing. The Mayor of London was first elected in 2000.
People continue to debate how power should be shared across the UK.
Worked example

A family moves from Cardiff to Glasgow. Why might the school system be different?

  1. Education is a devolved matter.
  2. So education is decided by the Senedd in Wales and by the Scottish Parliament in Scotland.
  3. Each has made its own decisions, so the systems differ.

Answer: Education is devolved, so Wales and Scotland each run their own system.

Key idea

Devolution passes some powers from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd (Wales) and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Health and education are mostly devolved; defence and foreign policy are reserved to the UK Parliament.

Key words
Devolution
Passing some powers from the UK Parliament to the nations or regions, such as to the Scottish Parliament.
1998
The Human Rights Act brings the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law.

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  1. Which of these is an example of devolution?

    1. The UK leaving the EU
    2. The monarch opening Parliament
    3. A general election
    4. The Scottish Parliament making laws on education in Scotland
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    Answer: The Scottish Parliament making laws on education in Scotland

    Devolution passes some powers from Westminster to the nations.

  2. Where does the Northern Ireland Assembly meet?

    1. Stormont
    2. Holyrood
    3. Senedd
    4. Westminster
    Show the answer

    Answer: Stormont

    The Northern Ireland Assembly meets at Stormont in Belfast.

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Sources and references

Checked by the GCSE-ready editorial team, 16 October 2026. Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.

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