Organisation of Central Government
Central government is made up of government ministries, executive agencies (such as the Tax Administration), inspectorates, the High Councils of State and a number of advisory bodies.
The different parts of central government
Central government is made up of various parts.
Ministries, ministers and state secretaries
Ministries are each responsible for a particular policy area, such as education or agriculture.
The ministers and state secretaries are the ministries’ political leaders. They bear political responsibility for the policy and rules made by the ministries.
The day-to-day management of a government ministry is in the hands of its most senior civil servant: the Secretary-General. He or she responsible for the organisation as a whole and ensure that the ministry’s civil servants are able to do their work effectively.
Central government agencies
Around 160 organisations fall under the responsibility of the ministries. These include departmental agencies and autonomous administrative authorities. Rijkswaterstaat and the Dutch Safety Board are examples of such bodies. Central government also has a range of inspectorates, such as the Inspectorate of Education and the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate.
High Councils of State
As well as the ministries and central government agencies, the Netherlands also has a number of High Councils of State. These are independent organisations that advise or exercise scrutiny over central government:
- Senate and House of Representatives of the States General (parliament)
- Netherlands Court of Audit
- Council of State
- National Ombudsman
- Chancery of the Netherlands Orders
Advisory bodies
Advisory bodies advise the government on legislation, regulation and policy. The Cyber Security Council, for example, advises the government on issues concerning cybersecurity in the Netherlands.