Central Government and Civil Service

The government is responsible for determining, developing and implementing national policy. These policies shape the legislative and economic landscape in which our industries operate. It is therefore important to understand how government works and who is responsible for different areas of policy making.

In the UK, there are four different legislatures, each with their own executive government. Since the late 1990s, the executives in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, referred to collectively as the devolved administrations, have the power to make policy and law in areas such as waste, health and social care, transport, and skills and education. However, the UK parliament, seated at Westminster, has reserved exclusive power over matters such as trade, defence, immigration and foreign affairs. This arrangement is complex and some issues are partially devolved and partially reserved. In this explainer, we will focus on the UK government.

Who runs the government?

The UK is a parliamentary democracy, meaning that members of government are drawn from the houses of parliament. You can read about how the UK parliament works here.

The UK government is made up of the Prime Minister, the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons, currently Sir Keir Starmer, and approximately 100 MPs and peers who he or she appoints to ministerial positions. Ministers are generally responsible for particular policy areas and can be divided into three tiers of seniority.

The most junior ministers are parliamentary under-secretaries of state. There are generally between one and four of these most junior ministers in each department, depending on its size. For instance, in the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, there are three parliamentary under-secretaries, one for climate, one for energy and one for energy consumers. 

The next tier is ministers of state. Each department will typically have between one and three of these ministers. This cohort are more experienced than junior ministers and will often handle or support the management of politically complex issues.

Finally, the most senior tier of government are cabinet ministers. These ministers, with some exceptions, are heads of government departments and are generally referred to as secretaries of state.  With the support of civil servants and politically appointed advisors, secretaries of state direct government policy in their area.

The cabinet is the primary decision-making body of government and is made up of 22 senior ministers, in addition to other positions such as the Chief Whip and the Attorney General. After the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer are normally among the most influential ministers in the cabinet.

Certain government positions are of particular importance to IOM3. For instance, the Business and Trade Secretary, Jonathon Reynolds, is working alongside the Chancellor to develop and implement several strategies of relevance, including the Industrial Strategy, Critical Minerals Strategy, and Steel Strategy. Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, is overseeing the government’s mission to transition to clean power by 2030. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, has identified moving to a zero-waste economy as a priority for his term. Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, is leading the establishment of Skills England to tackle ongoing skills shortages across the economy. Peter Kyle, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology has responsibility for materials research and innovation. These policies all impact the work of IOM3 members and as experts in the materials cycle, the IOM3 community has a role to play in informing their delivery.

Moreover, as materials, minerals and mining impact virtually every aspect of our society and economy, they also have relevance for an array of other government ministers, including at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department of Transport, and others.

 

How is government policy implemented?

Departments

The central government is run through different thematic departments, covering issues ranging from transport to education to business and trade. Each of the 22 cabinet ministers has responsibility for heading a department. These departments develop and implement policies set by government. 

There is also a central department, called the Cabinet Office, which liaises with other departments on key government priorities.

In addition, there are 20 non-ministerial departments, which are headed by a senior civil servant. These tend to be more specific in their remit and are often regulatory in nature. Non-ministerial departments include the Competition and Markets Authority, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) and the Forestry Commission.

The civil service

Departments are staffed by civil servants, who are responsible for carrying out government policy. Every ministerial department is headed by a permanent secretary. These senior officials support the department’s ministers and oversee the day-to-day running of their department, including the budget. They are supported by a hierarchical structure of less senior officials with a variety of remits and job titles.

Civil servants are permanent employees independent of government. Their role is politically neutral, as they are required to implement the policies of the day, irrespective of their personal views. They are held accountable to this standard by ministers, who in turn are accountable to parliament.

While the direction of policy is set by the government, the influence of the civil service is nonetheless extensive.  As permanent employees, civil servants tend to have a high level of expertise and experience in their field. They are thus relied on heavily in the policy making process and lead on the detailed development and implementation of the government’s agenda. 

Special advisers

Ministers are generally supported by a small number of politically-appointed individuals known as Special Advisers (or SpAds). Most secretaries of state will have 1-4 of these, with some focusing on communications and some on policy. Although these are paid for by the taxpayer, they are not constrained by the same rules of political impartiality as civil servants and lose their jobs if their minister loses theirs. SpAds play a crucial role in policy development in departments.

 

IOM3 work with government departments

Direct engagement with decision makers in the government and civil service is vital to ensuring that the expertise and insights of our members are heard during the policy making process. The most important departments for our work include Business & Trade, Education, Energy Security & Net Zero, Environment & Rural Affair and Science, Innovation & Technology.

When a relevant new minister is appointed, IOM3 usually writes to them to congratulate them and takes the opportunity to outline the importance of materials, minerals and mining to their respective policy remits. For example, following the 2024 General Election, IOM3 wrote to several secretaries of state in that vein. Moreover, the Institute published ‘Materials, Minerals & Mining; Securing a resilient and sustainable future for the UK’, which set out its priorities for the new government.

IOM3 is also building relationships with government, including through engagement with relevant officials and departments to help inform decision making and contribute the insights of our members. Through these activities we are growing our profile as a trusted and independent voice on all matters relating to the materials, minerals and mining sectors.

If you want to get involved in IOM3’s policy work, we regularly post opportunities for engagement on our Policy and Influence webpage, through our member newsletters and on our social media. You can also get in touch with the Policy Team at [email protected]