Parliament of Scotland United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The 1998 Scotland Act provided "for the establishment of a Scottish Parliament". Under the terms of the Act, the Scottish Parliament is able to pass laws affecting Scotland covering a range of issues. The Act also gives the Scottish Parliament the power to raise or lower the basic rate of income tax by up to 3 pence in the pound. Some of the issues devolved to the Scottish Parliament include Education, Health (including the NHS in Scotland), Agriculture and Justice. All the issues on which the Scottish Parliament can pass legislation are known as "devolved matters". The Scotland Act also specifies certain issues on which the Scottish Parliament cannot pass legislation. These are known as "reserved matters". Reserved matters include Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security.
