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While the big government departments, such as the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, remain hugely important, the past two decades have seen a gradual shift in power from Westminster to the regions. Great swathes of responsibility have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament and the assemblies in Wales and Northern Ireland. We start this chapter by highlighting the work of the departments responsible for regional, national and international governance. It also features local councils at the forefront of policy change—pioneering imaginative ways of dealing with budgetary cuts, an ageing population and crucial services, such as adoption and housing.
Governance and policy Good practice in local government