David Milne served as Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Scotland between 1946 and 1959.

Part 1: The Secretary of State and His Functions 1. Introduction 2. Development of the Office of Secretary of State 3. The Scottish Office Part 2: The Department of Agriculture for Scotland 4. The Land of Scotland 5. Agricultural Production 6. The Agricultural Guarantee System Part 3: The Scottish Education Department 7. Education in Scotland 8. Schools 9. H. M. Inspectorate and the Scottish Leaving Certificate Examination 10. Teachers 11. Further Education 12. The Financing of Public Education in Scotland Part 4: The Department of Health for Scotland 13. The National Health Service 14. The Care of the Aged and Inform and the Welfare of the Handicapped 15. Town and Country Planning 16. Housing, Water Supplies and General Sanitation Part 5: The Scottish Home Department 17. Public Order, The Care of Children and Miscellaneous Services 18. Local Government 19. Industry and Transport 20. Scotland's Minister Part 6: Other Responsibilities of the Secretary of State 21. Joint Ministerial Responsibilities: The Forestry Commission and the Crown Estate Commissioners 22. The Smaller Scottish Departments and Offices Part 7: The Law Officers and the Lord Advocate's Departments 23. The Law Officers and the Lord Advocate's Departments 24. Conclusion. Appendices.

Originally published in 1957, this book gives a comprehensive account of the scope and variety of the work previously performed by Scottish Government departments in Whitehall during the second half of the 20th Century. The then Secretary of State for Scotland's role was unusually diverse - he or she was the equivalent to a number of English ministers. The book examines this complex role and then analyses the work and organisation of 4 main departments: Agriculture, Education, Health and Home. The approach is a broad one, with an explanation given of how and why Scottish arrangements and practices differ from those south of the border.