UK Parliament passed the Scotland Act 1998 to establish the Scottish Parliament, which opened in 1999. There have been a number of changes and additions to Scottish Parliament’s powers since then, including through the Scotland Act 2016 and Scotland Act 2012, which both devolved significant further powers with cross-party agreement.
The Scottish Parliament has power to make laws on a range of devolved matters, including culture. This includes Creative Scotland, the national gallery, library and museum collections and national performing companies.
There are 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Scotland is divided into 73 constituencies, each one represented by 1 MSP. Scotland is also divided into 8 regions (larger areas covering several constituencies). Each region is represented by 7 MSPs. Constituency boundaries changed at the May 2026 election.
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