General service inspections of the various ministries are defined as bodies specialised in internal control and service evaluation, both of the departments themselves and of their dependent public bodies.

Without prejudice to the particularities of the actual regulatory decrees of the organization and structure of the ministries, the rule that systematizes inspections on a general basis is Royal Decree 799/2005 of 1 July, which regulates the general inspections of services of the ministerial departments.

This Royal Decree determines the nature and functions of the inspections, their organization and their performance procedures, also establishing the characteristics of the posts of service inspectors and their form of provision, as well as the prerogatives for the exercise of this function.