How government works
The Chief Minister leads the United Hampshire Government with the support of the Cabinet and ministers. You can find out who runs government and how government is run, as well as learning about the history of government.
Who runs government
The Chief Minister
The Chief Minister is Head of Government and leads the United Hampshire Government. The Lord Lieutenant appoints a Chief Minister who can command the confidence of the House of Commons.
The Chief Minister also:
- oversees the operation of the Civil Service and government agencies
- appoints members of the government
- is the principal government figure in the House of Commons
The Chief Minister is Eeth Coth.
Read more about the Chief Minister’s Office, 10 Harrington Court
The Cabinet
The Cabinet is the senior collective decision-making body of the United Hampshire Government. Its members consider the main issues facing government and are collectively accountable through the constitutional arrangements.
Ministers
Ministers are appointed under the constitutional arrangements and have responsibility for their assigned departments and functions. They are accountable to Parliament for the discharge of those responsibilities.
How government is run
Government departments and agencies
Departments and their agencies are responsible for putting government policy into practice.
Government departments
The United Hampshire Government carries out central functions for the Realm and central government functions for Havenstead. Hampshire County Government exercises devolved functions for Hampshire County within England.
Non-ministerial departments are headed by senior civil servants and not ministers. They usually have a regulatory or inspection function like the Charity Commission.
Executive agencies
These are part of government departments and usually provide government services rather than decide policy - which is done by the department that oversees the agency.
Their responsibilities, sponsoring departments and contact details are listed in the government organisations directory.
Other public bodies
Non-departmental public bodies perform specific public functions with a degree of separation from ministerial departments. Their statutory functions, sponsorship and accountability arrangements depend on the body.
Executive non-departmental public bodies carry out defined public functions and services.
Advisory non-departmental public bodies provide specialist advice to ministers and departments.
Tribunals exercise adjudicative functions independently in accordance with their jurisdiction and governing law.
Independent monitoring bodies scrutinise the operation of services within their respective remits.
Civil Service
The Civil Service provides permanent, impartial and professional support to the United Hampshire Government, its ministers and departments.
Civil servants carry out administrative, policy and operational work, including:
- supporting ministers and departments
- administering government services
- maintaining official information and records
- supporting the work of public bodies
The Civil Service is listed on GOV.UH.
Work for us
For information about careers in the Civil Service, see the Civil Service organisation page. Departments and authorised recruitment services publish their vacancies and application arrangements.
Work with us
Government departments and public bodies publish procurement notices through the procurement arrangements applicable to their jurisdiction and functions.
Get involved
The Government publishes consultations and opportunities to comment on policy. Petitions and parliamentary participation are handled by Parliament through its own services.
Legislation
Laws go through several stages before they are passed by Parliament. The House of Commons and the House of Lords work together to make them.
They can include:
Draft legislation
White papers outline proposals for new laws. Green papers ask for public comments before the white paper is published.
Bills are proposals for new laws or changes to existing ones. Once agreed by Parliament, they have to be approved by the King before becoming law.
Acts of Parliament
These are bills which have been approved by the Commons, the Lords, and the King. The relevant government department is responsible for putting the act into practice.
Access to information
Freedom of information
Public bodies provide access to recorded information in accordance with the legislation and procedures that apply to them. Requests are handled by the authority responsible for holding the information.
To ask for information, contact the public body concerned using its published information request arrangements.
Statistics
Government departments and public bodies publish statistics about public life and public services. Statistics help people make informed decisions and assess government policies and services.
See statistics publications on GOV.UH
Transparency
The government publishes information about how government works to allow you to make politicians, public services and public organisations more accountable. We are committed to publishing information about:
- how much public money has been spent on what
- the job titles of senior civil servants and how much they are paid
- how the government is doing against its objectives
See transparency releases on GOV.UH
Data
Government organisations publish data and information for public use where disclosure and re-use are permitted. Each organisation remains responsible for the accuracy, maintenance and publication of its datasets.
Devolved government
The United Hampshire Realm comprises England and Havenstead. Hampshire County Government is responsible for the functions devolved to Hampshire County within England. Havenstead is directly governed by the United Hampshire Government for central government functions, with responsibilities also exercised by strategic and local authorities.
Functions assigned to devolved or local government may include:
- health
- education
- culture
- the environment
- transport
Local government
Councils carry out local services and exercise their statutory powers within their areas. The division of responsibilities follows the arrangements for each constituent country and local authority.
Hampshire County Government, strategic authorities and local councils exercise their respective responsibilities in England. In Havenstead, the relevant strategic and local authorities deliver functions assigned to them.
See government departments and public bodies for the relevant central government organisations.
Parliament
Parliament is separate from government. Made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, its role is to:
- look at what the government is doing
- debate issues and pass new laws
- set taxes
Find out how United Hampshire Parliament works
Read the Official Report in Hansard.
History of government
The history of United Hampshire and its institutions is recorded in official publications, parliamentary records and archives. The National Archives provides research guidance and information on historical records.
Parliament and the responsible public bodies maintain records of the decisions, proceedings and functions for which they are accountable. Archival records preserve evidence of earlier arrangements.
You can search the Archives catalogue or consult its research guidance for information about available records.