UK Crown Bodies

This is a list of those public bodies which have Crown status. This means that material which they produce is subject to Crown copyright protection. For ease of reference we have grouped these organisations under their parent department where appropriate. The list has been sub-divided to show those departments for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The list will be regularly updated to reflect changes in the status of the organisations listed, any changes in name and any new Crown bodies which might be created. Where a Trading Fund has delegation of authority to license the re-use of material they originate, a link has been provided to the contact details.

For ease of reference, any organisation which has the words ’Department’ or ’Ministry’ as part of their title have been indexed under their main activity. For example, Department of Health appears under ’H’ as Health, Department of and Ministry of Defence appears under ’D’ as Defence, Ministry of. We have a table of shortcut letters to help you find the organisation you are looking for.

There is a wide range of public bodies which do not have Crown status. We have listed some of these organisations under Non-Crown Bodies

| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

A
- Advisory Committee on Statute Law
- Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service(ACAS)
- Assets Recovery Agency
B
- Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, Department for,
  - Office of Manpower Economics
  - Executive Agencies:
  - Companies House
  - Insolvency Service
  - Small Business Service
C
- Cabinet Office
  - Executive Agency:
  - Government Car & Despatch Agency
- Central Office of Information
- Charity Commission
- Children, Schools and Families, Department of
- Communities and Local Government, Department of (DCLG)
  - Government Offices for the Regions
  - Executive Agencies
  - Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (QEIICC)
  - Fire Service College
  - Planning Inspectorate
- Crown Estate
- Crown Prosecution Service
- Culture, Media and Sport, Department for
  - Executive Agency:
  - Royal Parks
D
- Defence, Ministry of
  - Executive Agencies:
  - Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO)
  - Army Personnel Centre
  - Army Training & Recruiting Agency
  - Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA)
  - Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA)
  - Defence Bills Agency
  - UK National Codification Bureau
  - Defence Codification
  - Defence Dental Agency
  - Defence Estates
  - Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency (DGIA)
  - Defence Intelligence and Security Centre
  - Defence Logistics Organisation
  - Defence Medical Education and Training Agency
  - Defence Procurement Agency
  - Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
  - Defence Vetting Agency
  - Disposal Services Agency
  - Duke of York’s Royal Military School
  - Met Office
  - Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency
  - Naval Recruiting & Training Agency
  - Pay & Personnel Agency
  - Queen Victoria School
  - Royal Air Force No 22 (Training) Group
  - Service Children’s Education
  - Service Personnel and Veterans Agency
  - United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
  - United Kingdom National Codification Bureau
- Duchy of Lancaster
E
- Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Department for the
  - Executive Agencies:
  - Central Science Laboratory
  - Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
  - Pesticides Safety Directorate
  - Rural Payments Agency
  - Veterinary Laboratories Agency
  - Veterinary Medicines Directorate
- Export Credits Guarantee Department
F
- Food Standards Agency
  - Executive Agency:
  - Meat Hygiene Service
- Foreign & Commonwealth Office
  - Executive Agency:
  - Wilton Park
- Forestry Commission
  - Executive Agencies:
  - Forest Enterprise
  - Forest Research
G
- Government Actuary’s Department
- Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)
H
- Health & Safety Commission
  - Health & Safety Executive (HSE)
- Health, Department of
  - Executive Agencies:
  - Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
  - NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency
- Her Majesty’s Stationery Office (see Office of Public Sector Information)
- HM Revenue and Customs
  - National Insurance Contributions Office
  - Executive Agency:
  - Valuation Office
- Home Office
  - Executive Agencies:
  - Criminal Records Bureau
  - HM Prison Service
  - Probation Service
  - Identity and Passport Service
I
- Innovation, Universities and Skills, Department for
  - UK Intellectual Property Office
  - Executive Agency:
  - National Weights and Measures Laboratory
- International Development, Department for
L
- Land Registry, HM
- Law Commission
- Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers
- Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lord’s Office
M
- Ministry of Justice
  - Executive Agencies:
  - Court Service
  - Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Forces
  - Public Guardianship Office
  - Tribunals Service
N
- National Archives, The
  - Office of Public Sector Information
- National Debt Office
- National Investment & Loans Office
- Northern Ireland Administration
- Northern Ireland Office
  - Crown Solicitor’s Office
  - Northern Ireland Prison Service
  - Executive Agency:
  - Compensation Agency
  - Forensic Science Agency of Northern Ireland
O
- Office for National Statistics (ONS)
- Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED)
- Office of Fair Trading (OFT)
- Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem)
- Office of Government Commerce (OGC)
  - Executive Agency:
  - OGCbuying solutions
- Office of the Rail Regulator
- Office of Water Services (OFWAT)
- Ordnance Survey
P
- Parliamentary Counsel, Office of the
- Paymaster General, Office of HM
- Prime Minister’s Office
- Privy Council Office
- Public Works Loan Board
R
- Registry of Friendly Societies
- Royal Mint
S
- Scotland Office
- Scottish Administration
- Scottish Government
- Security & Intelligence Service
- Serious Fraud Office
- Service Authorities
  - National Crime Squad
  - National Criminal Intelligence Service
- Shadow Strategic Rail Authority
T
- Transport, Department for
  - Executive Agencies:
  - Driving Standards Agency (DSA)
  - Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
  - Highways Agency (HA)
  - Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA)
  - Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA)
  - Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA)
- Treasury Solicitor’s Department
  - Executive Agency:
  - Government Property Lawyers
- Treasury, HM
  - Executive Agencies:
  - National Savings and Investment
  - UK Debt Management Office
U
- UK Trade and Investment
W
- Wales Office (Office of the Secretary of State for Wales)
- Welsh Assembly Government
- Work and Pensions, Department for
  - Executive Agencies:
  - Appeals Service
  - Child Support Agency (CSA)
  - Job Centre Plus
  - The Pension Service
  - The Rent Service
SCOTTISH ADMINISTRATION
Scottish Executive Core Departments
- Development Department
- Education Department
- Enterprise Transport and Lifelong Learning Department
- Environment and Rural Affairs Department
- Executive Secretariat
- Finance Department
- Fisheries Research Services
- General Register Office for Scotland
- Health Department
- Historic Scotland
- Justice Department
- National Archives of Scotland
- Registers of Scotland
- Scottish Agricultural Science Agency
- Scottish Court Service
- Scottish Executive Agencies
- Scottish Building Standards Agency
- Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency
- Scottish Prison Service
- Scottish Public Pensions Agency
- Student Awards Agency for Scotland
Other offices which form part of the Scottish Administration
- Accountant in Bankruptcy
- Accountant of Court
- Assistant Inspector of Fire Services for Scotland
- Chief Dental Officer of the Scottish Administration
- Chief Medical Officer of the Scottish Administration
- Chief Inspector of Constabulary, HM
- Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland, HM
- Depute, Assistant or other Clerk in the Justiciary Office of the High Court of Justiciary
- Inspector of Anatomy for Scotland, HM
- Inspector of Constabulary, HM
- Inspector of Fire Services for Scotland, HM
- Inspector of Schools, HM
- Macer in the Court of Session and Macer in the High Court of Justiciary
- Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
- Principal Clerk of Justiciary
- Principal Clerk of Session and other Clerks or Officers of the Court of Sessions
- Procurator Fiscal and Procurator Fiscal Depute
- Queen’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer
- Queen’s Printer for Scotland
- Registrar of Independent Schools
- Rent Officer
- Sheriff Clerk
- Sheriff Clerk Depute
- Social Work Inspector
- Pension Appeals Tribunals for Scotland
- Scottish Public Authorities
  - Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland
  - Deer Commission for Scotland
  - Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
  - Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland
- UK Government Authority
  - Army HQ Scotland
NORTHERN IRELAND ADMINISTRATION
Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of
- Executive Agencies:
- Forest Service
- Rivers Agency
Crown Solicitor’s Office for Northern Ireland
Culture, Arts and Leisure, Department of
- Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland
- Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland, Department of the
Employment and Learning, Department for
Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Department of
- Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland
- Industrial Research, Technology Unit
- LEDU (Local Enterprise Development Unit) The Small Business Agency
- Northern Ireland Tourist Board
Environment, Department of the
- Driver & Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland
- Driver & Vehicle Testing Agency
- Environment & Heritage Service
- Executive Agencies:
- Planning Service
Finance & Personnel, Department of
- Executive Agencies:
- Business Development Service
- Construction Service
- Government Purchasing Agency
- Land Registers of Northern Ireland
- NI Building Regulations Advisory Council
- NI Construction Industry Advisory Council
- Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency
- Office of Law Reform
- Rates Collection Agency
- Valuation & Lands Agency
Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Department of
- Executive Agencies:
- Fire Authority
- Northern Ireland Health & Social Service Agency
- Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment, Department of
- Lands Tribunal for Northern Ireland
- Northern Ireland Court Service
- Office for Regulation of Electricity & Gas
- Office of the Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland
- Office of the First and Deputy First Minister
  - Executive Agencies/Sub Departments:
  - Office of the Legislative Counsel
  - Recruitment
- Office of the Industrial and Fair Employment Tribunals
- Regional Development Northern Ireland, Department of
  - Executive Agencies:
  - Roads Service
  - Training & Employment Agency
  - Water Service
- Social Development, Department of
  - Northern Ireland Child Support Agency
  - Northern Ireland Social Security Agency
  - Office of Social Fund Commissioner
- Statute Law Committee, Northern Ireland
WELSH ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT
- Executive Agency:
- Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments
- Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales, HM
- Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales

Non-Crown Bodies

There is a wide range of public bodies which do not have Crown status and do not fall within Crown copyright management. This can cause confusion and uncertainty. Some of the bodies often mistakenly assumed to be Crown bodies are listed below:

Audit Commission
Audit Scotland
BBC
British Council
British Geological Survey
British Library
British Standards Institute (BSI)
Commission for Health Improvement
Competition Commission (successor to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission)
Countryside Agency
English Heritage
Environment Agency
Financial Services Authority
Historic Royal Palaces
Imperial War Museum (and museums generally)
Information Commissioner
Learning Skills Councils
National Audit Office
National Library of Scotland
National Library of Wales
Natural Environment Research Council
NI Housing Executive
Office of Communications (Ofcom)
Parliamentary Ombudsman and the Health Service Ombudsman
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (and their Welsh and Scottish equivalents)
Royal Armouries
Royal Botanic Gardens
Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB)
Scottish Information Commissioner
Scottish Natural Heritage
Scottish Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration
Welsh Administration Ombudsman

If you are in any doubt as to whether an organisation has Crown status, please contact the Information Policy team.

Office of Public Sector Information

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