The Scottish Government is the executive government of the Scottish Parliament. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive.
The government has a range of responsibilities, including the economy, education, health, housing, transport and taxation. It does not have responsibility for the powers which are reserved to the UK government: these include immigration, foreign policy and defence.
The Scottish Government is supported by approximately 16,000 civil servants, who work to implement the policies and priorities of the government of the day.