State-owned enterprises of the United Kingdom are organisations owned or controlled by the public sector that trade as market producers. In UK statistics, theOffice for National Statistics (ONS) classifies market-producing entities under public control aspublic corporations, using control indicators and a "50% market test". Other publicly owned entities that are non-market are classified to central or local government. The statistical classification is distinct from legal form, which may be aCompanies Act company, astatutory corporation or a body created byroyal charter.[1][2]
State ownership exists at central, devolved and local levels in theUnited Kingdom. Centrally owned examples include broadcasters, investment vehicles and infrastructure bodies; devolved holdings include rail, water and transport undertakings inScotland,Wales andNorthern Ireland.Channel 4 remained publicly owned following a 2023 government review and reforms.[3]
Recent changes include energy-system and nuclear-decommissioning reforms and the creation of new central investment bodies. TheNational Energy System Operator, a public corporation, took on system-operation functions on 1 October 2024; the Great British Energy Act 2025 establishedGreat British Energy; theUK Infrastructure Bank was renamed National Wealth Fund Limited on 14 October 2024; andMagnox Ltd, a subsidiary of theNuclear Decommissioning Authority, adopted the corporate name Nuclear Restoration Services in April 2024.[10][11][12][13][14]
In UK economic statistics, theOffice for National Statistics (ONS) classifies units to the public sector where the public sector has control over an entity’s general policy or programme, assessed against a set of control indicators. Market-producing units under public control are classified aspublic corporations using a "50% market test" that compares sales with production costs. Non-market units are classified to central or local government. Statistical classification is distinct from legal form, which in the UK may be aCompanies Act company, astatutory corporation or a body created byroyal charter.[1][15][2]
Administrative labels used in UK government, such asexecutive agencies andnon-departmental public bodies, describe governance and accountability rather than sector classification. Such bodies are included here only where they also meet the statistical test for a market producer under public control. Most agencies and NDPBs are non-market and are therefore out of scope for this list.[16][2]
For this article, inclusion covers four categories. First, ONS-classified public corporations. Second, central-government-owned companies and statutory or chartered corporations where ministers exercise control. Third, devolved equivalents controlled by devolved ministers. Fourth,local authority trading companies where a local or combined authority exercises control. Exclusions includepublic–private partnerships andjoint ventures where government does not control general corporate policy, and cases where the state holds only a minority or special share without control. Such interests may be noted separately as strategic holdings.[1][15]
Control does not require day-to-day intervention or majority ownership. It may arise from rights such as appointing or removing directors, vetoes over key decisions or statutory powers. Minority shareholdings or special shares do not imply control in the absence of such indicators.[1]
Public ownership in the UK took root through chartered bodies, statutory corporations and municipal enterprises that delivered utilities and transport. Local authorities developed electricity and tram undertakings, while central government used statutory boards in sectors such as broadcasting and transport. These models combined public accountability with trading income and provided the template for later nationalisations.[17]
Post-war nationalisation and sectoral consolidation (1945 to 1951)
The post-war government extended public ownership across banking, coal, inland transport, electricity, gas and steel. TheBank of England was nationalised in 1946 under theBank of England Act 1946. Large statutory corporations were created to run the major utilities and transport systems with ministerial sponsorship and borrowing powers.[18][17]
Restructuring and a mixed ownership model (1951 to 1979)
Later governments adjusted the scope and structures of state industries. There were reorganisations in transport and utilities and debates about performance and investment constraints. The period ended with case-by-case rescues in sectors under pressure, which prompted new instruments for public stakes.[17]
Crisis nationalisations and the National Enterprise Board (1970s)
From 1979 the government pursued a sustained programme ofprivatisation across telecoms, gas, electricity, airlines, steel, water and airports. Ownership moved to the private sector, while sector regulators and price controls replaced direct ministerial direction. The break-up of state conglomerates and utility restructuring set the framework for later market regulation.[22]
Rail franchising and the public backstop (1990s to 2000s)
TheRailways Act 1993 introduced franchising for passenger services and created a duty on the state to secure services if a franchise failed or ended. Infrastructure passed fromBritish Rail toRailtrack, which entered railway administration in 2001.Network Rail took ownership in 2002. In 2013 theONS decided that Network Rail would be classified to the public sector from 1 September 2014 under ESA 2010, which moved its debt onto the public balance sheet. The operator of last resort duty became the mechanism for continuity of service when contracts failed or expired.[4][23][24]
The financial crisis and temporary bank ownership (2008 to 2012)
Sector boundaries shifted through statistical decisions and organisational reforms. English housing associations were classified to the public sector in 2015 then returned to the private sector in 2017 after governance changes.Royal Mail was floated in 2013 and thePost Office remained a state-owned company under thePostal Services Act 2011. Trading funds were reorganised into government-owned companies in some cases, includingOrdnance Survey in 2015, and the strategic highways authority becameNational Highways in 2015 as a government-owned company under theInfrastructure Act 2015.[30][31][32][33][34][35]
New instruments in the 2020s: development banks, system operators and targeted stakes
After devolution, ownership models diverged.Scottish Water remained in public ownership under theWater Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, while water and sewerage services in England and Wales were privatised under theWater Act 1989. In Northern Ireland,Northern Ireland Water was created as a government-owned company in 2007 and has been classified by the ONS to central government on a non-market basis. Rail operations in Scotland and Wales moved into devolved owning groups for public operation of passenger services.[37][38][39]
Classification shifts and control tests in practice
Across these periods, statistical treatment often changed without a conventional purchase or sale. The ONS applies control indicators and a market-producer test to decide whether an entity is a public corporation or part of central or local government. Decisions such as the 2014 reclassification of Network Rail and the 2015 to 2017 changes for English housing associations demonstrate how governance and revenue structures affect classification and the count of state-owned enterprises.[1][15][24][31]
Current state-owned enterprises (central government)
This section lists central government state-owned enterprises that meet the Office for National Statistics tests for public control and, where relevant, the market-producer test for public corporations, together with government-owned companies created under the Companies Act. It excludes devolved and local bodies, which appear later, and private operators under contract. Definitions are set out inTerminology and scope.
British Broadcasting Corporation — statutory corporation established by Royal Charter, a public service broadcaster operating as a public corporation, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. As of As of October 2025[update], the Charter and Framework govern the BBC’s independence and funding arrangements.[40]
Channel 4 — statutory corporation and public service broadcaster, remains in public ownership following the 2023 government review, sponsored by DCMS.[3]
S4C — statutory corporation providing Welsh-language television, sponsored by DCMS with funding arrangements set out in its framework documents.[41]
National Wealth Fund Limited — government-owned company headquartered in Leeds, formerly the UK Infrastructure Bank and renamed on 14 October 2024, shareholder functions sit with HM Treasury.[42][12]
British Business Bank — government-owned public limited company providing finance programmes for smaller businesses, sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade.[43]
British International Investment — government-owned public limited company and the UK’s development finance institution, shareholder is the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.[44]
UK Government Investments — government-owned company acting as the centre of government ownership expertise, shareholder is HM Treasury.[45]
Reclaim Fund — public body company administering the Dormant Assets Scheme, owned by HM Treasury and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.[46][47]
National Energy System Operator — public corporation responsible for electricity and gas system operation in Great Britain, created by transfer from National Grid ESO on 1 October 2024 following Ofgem and DESNZ decisions.[10][48]
Great British Energy — state-owned company established by the Great British Energy Act 2025 to invest in clean power projects, sponsored by DESNZ.[11]
Great British Energy – Nuclear — government company leading civil new-build and fuel cycle projects, rebranded from Great British Nuclear in December 2024.[49]
Network Rail — company limited by guarantee responsible for railway infrastructure in Great Britain, reclassified to the public sector in 2014 and treated as part of central government by the ONS.[54]
National Highways — government-owned company for England’s strategic roads, launched as Highways England on 1 April 2015 and renamed National Highways in 2021, sponsored by the Department for Transport.[55][56]
High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd — government-owned company delivering elements of the high-speed rail programme, sponsored by the Department for Transport.[57]
East West Railway Company — government-owned company developing the Oxford–Cambridge rail link, sponsored by the Department for Transport.[58]
London & Continental Railways — government-owned property and regeneration company focused on rail-related assets, sponsored by the Department for Transport.[59]
DfT Operator — the Department for Transport holding group for operator of last resort train companies, operates services under time-limited Service Agreements rather than franchises.[8]
Ordnance Survey — government-owned company since 2015 providing national geospatial data, sponsored by the business department.[60]
UK Hydrographic Office — trading fund supplying hydrographic and marine geospatial services, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence.[61]
Met Office — the UK’s national meteorological service, classified as a public corporation and sponsored by the science department.[62]
The Royal Mint — government-owned company producing UK coinage and operating commercial precious-metals businesses, shareholder functions are exercised by HM Treasury.[63]
Student Loans Company — government-owned company administering student finance, sponsored by the Department for Education and devolved administrations.[64]
Civil Aviation Authority — statutory regulator of civil aviation and a public corporation, sponsored by the Department for Transport.[65]
Genomics England — company wholly owned by the Department of Health and Social Care providing genomic services for the NHS and research access to de-identified data.[66]
NHS Professionals — company wholly owned by the Department of Health and Social Care providing temporary staffing and workforce services to the NHS.[67]
Porton Biopharma — Department of Health and Social Care-owned biopharmaceutical company associated with UKHSA’s Porton site, status under review in 2025 reporting.[68]
Under section 30 of theRailways Act 1993, theDepartment for Transport (DfT) must ensure continuity of passenger services if a franchise or contract ends or is terminated. The DfT fulfils this duty throughDfT Operator Limited (DFTO), a government-owned holding group that manages state-run operators under time-limited service agreements rather than franchises. DFTO was known as DfT OLR Holdings Limited until a name change recorded in December 2024.[4][69][70][71]
As of As of October 2025[update], DFTO manages the following train operating companies, with the date each entered public operation:
Devolved governments operate separate publicly owned arrangements outside DFTO.Scottish Rail Holdings tookScotRail into public ownership on 1 April 2022 and theCaledonian Sleeper on 25 June 2023. In Wales,Transport for Wales Rail took over the Wales and Borders services on 7 February 2021. These are covered in the devolved administrations section.[76][77][78]
Metro (Belfast) — Belfast bus network operated by Citybus Ltd, a NITHC subsidiary.[80]
Ulsterbus — regional bus operator under NITHC ownership.[80]
NI Railways — passenger rail operator owned through NITHC.[80]
Northern Ireland Water — government-owned company providing water and sewerage services across Northern Ireland, created in 2007 and classified to central government for budgeting and funding.[81][39]
Ulster Supported Employment — executive non-departmental public body and company limited by guarantee delivering supported employment services. Included here as a related body rather than a public corporation.[88]
Caledonian Maritime Assets — company wholly owned by the Scottish Ministers that owns ferries and harbour infrastructure used on the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles networks; sponsored by Transport Scotland.[89]
David MacBrayne — company wholly owned by the Scottish Ministers that owns operating subsidiaries providing lifeline ferry services under public service contracts let by Transport Scotland.[90]
Caledonian MacBrayne — ferry operator trading as CalMac Ferries on the Clyde and Hebrides network, operated under contract to Transport Scotland through David MacBrayne subsidiaries.[91]
Ferguson Marine — shipyard at Port Glasgow taken into public ownership in 2019 and retained by the Scottish Ministers through Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Holdings Ltd.[92][93]
Highlands and Islands Airports — company wholly owned by the Scottish Ministers that operates airports across the Highlands and Islands and at Dundee and Inverness.[94]
Glasgow Prestwick Airport — airport owned by the Scottish Ministers through Prestwick Aviation Holdings Ltd since 2013.[95]
Scottish Water — public corporation providing water and wastewater services in Scotland, established by the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 and owned by the Scottish Ministers.[96][97]
Scottish Canals — operating name of the British Waterways Board in Scotland, a Scottish public corporation managing canals and associated assets on behalf of the Scottish Ministers.[98][99]
Crown Estate Scotland — statutory public corporation managing the Scottish Crown Estate assets, established by the Scottish Crown Estate Act 2019.[105][106]
BiFab — fabrication company in which the Scottish Government held an equity stake from 2017; the business entered administration in 2020 and its yards were subsequently sold in 2021.[107][108]
Scottish Futures Trust — company limited by guarantee wholly owned by the Scottish Ministers that provides infrastructure investment and programme advisory services. It is a non-departmental public body and is not generally treated as a market public corporation.[109][110]
Transport for Wales — company limited by guarantee wholly owned by the Welsh Ministers that plans and manages public transport services; it owns the Core Valley Lines rail infrastructure and lets operating contracts.[111][112]
Transport for Wales Rail — government-owned operator of last resort that took over the Wales and Borders rail services on 7 February 2021.[78]
Development Bank of Wales — development finance institution, a public limited company wholly owned by the Welsh Ministers, providing debt and equity to Welsh businesses.[113]
Global Centre of Rail Excellence — Welsh Government-owned company developing a rail testing and innovation facility in Powys and Neath Port Talbot.[115]
Cwmni Egino — Welsh Government company established to support the delivery of nuclear development at Trawsfynydd.[116]
Adnodd Cyf — national company created by the Welsh Government to commission high-quality bilingual educational resources for schools and colleges in Wales.[117]
Careers Choices Dewis Gyrfa Ltd — Welsh Government-owned company delivering the all-age careers information, advice and guidance service in Wales.[118]
Life Sciences Hub Wales — company limited by guarantee wholly owned by the Welsh Ministers to stimulate growth of the life sciences sector and support NHS innovation adoption.[119]
Meat Promotion Wales — Welsh Ministers’ levy body for the red meat sector, operating as Hybu Cig Cymru under statutory orders.[120]
Design Commission for Wales — arm’s-length company limited by guarantee promoting good design in the built environment, sponsored by the Welsh Government.[121]
Centre for Digital Public Services — company limited by guarantee established by the Welsh Government to improve digital capability across public services.[122]
Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru — publicly owned renewable energy developer announced by the Welsh Government; company establishment and programme delivery are in progress, with details published through policy updates. Placeholders here pending operational status.[124]
Municipal companies in the United Kingdom are "local authority trading companies" (LATCos) and other corporate vehicles wholly or jointly owned by local or combined authorities. They are typically established under the Local Authorities (Companies) Order 1995 and related powers, sometimes operating in-house under the procurement "Teckal" exemption. The lists below give notable examples by nation. Entries are limited to corporate entities. Transport authorities and branded networks that are not companies are listed separately as related bodies.
Manchester Airports Group – airports holding company (64.5% owned by the ten Greater Manchester councils via Manchester City Council and the other nine councils).[130]
Newcastle International Airport – public-private partnership: 51% owned by seven North East local authorities (LA7) and 49% by the private partner.[131]
Cornwall Airport Newquay – owned by Cornwall Council and operated by Cornwall Airport Limited (wholly council-owned).[132]
Nexus – Tyne and Wear transport executive (successor to the Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive); administers theTyne and Wear Metro.[139]
Sheffield International Venues / Sheffield City Trust – independent charity/company that formerly ran council leisure venues under contract; operations transferred to a private operator in 2024.[140]
South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive – abolished; transport functions integrated into the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority in 2023.[141]
Lothian Buses – municipal bus operator (majority owned by the City of Edinburgh Council; minority stakes held by Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian councils).[145]
This section lists central proposals that have formal government documentation. Entries remain here until legislation has passed and the body is operational.
Great British Railways — planned arm’s length public body intended to act as a single "guiding mind" for Great Britain’s railways by bringing together infrastructure management with most passenger services in England and by setting fares and timetables. The concept was set out in the Williams–Shapps plan and remains a live government programme. As of As of October 2025[update], the government has consulted on a Railways Bill, the 2024 King’s Speech confirmed legislation in this session, and ministers have stated that a bill to establish GBR will be introduced with the aim of the body becoming operational roughly twelve months after Royal Assent. The previous Great British Railways Transition Team ceased in March 2025 and preparatory work is now led from the Department for Transport and industry teams.[153][154][155][156][157][158]
This section summarises major United Kingdom state-owned enterprises that left the public sector through privatisation, restructuring or disposal. Entries are grouped by sector with brief status notes and dates, fuller histories are linked from each article.
British Telecommunications — converted to a public limited company by the British Telecommunications Act 1984 and sold in stages from 1984 and 1991.[159][22]
British Gas — transferred to private ownership under the Gas Act 1986, creatingCentrica and related successor bodies over time.[160][22]
Electricity industry (England and Wales) — generation and supply functions privatised under the Electricity Act 1989 with the break-up of the Central Electricity Generating Board and the flotation of regional electricity companies; transmission moved to the National Grid Company plc.[161][22]
British Coal — mining operations wound up or transferred under the Coal Industry Act 1994 following earlier closures and sales of non-core activities.[163]
British Rail — restructured and assets transferred under the Railways Act 1993, with passenger services franchised to private operators, Railtrack created for infrastructure, and later replacement byNetwork Rail after Railtrack entered administration in 2001.[164][23][24]
British Airways — transferred to British Airways plc by the British Airways Act 1983 and privatised by share sale in 1987.[165][22]
National Bus Company — state holding company for bus undertakings in England and Wales, disposed of by a programme of sales in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[22]
Royal Mail — legislation in the Postal Services Act 2011 enabled an initial public offering in 2013 and subsequent sell-down of the government’s remaining stake.[33][32]
Northern Rock andBradford & Bingley — taken into temporary public ownership during the 2007–2009 banking crisis, with assets managed and sold down through government holding companies overseen by UK Financial Investments (later UK Government Investments).[25][26]
^"Who we are".British Business Bank. British Business Bank plc. Archived fromthe original on 1 July 2024. Retrieved19 October 2025.
^"About us".British International Investment. British International Investment plc. Archived fromthe original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved19 October 2025.
^"Transport for Edinburgh".Wikipedia. Retrieved19 October 2025.Transport for Edinburgh is an organisation that oversees public transport in Edinburgh; owned by the City of Edinburgh Council.
