Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands

The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Cùisean Dùthchail, Ath-leasachadh an Fhearainn agus nan Eilean), commonly referred to as the Rural Affairs Secretary (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire nan Cùisean Dùthchail), is a position in the Scottish Government Cabinet. The Cabinet Secretary is responsible for rural Scotland and its islands, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, food and drink, and crofting. The Cabinet Secretary is assisted by the Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform, Màiri McAllan.[2]


Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands
Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Cùisean Dùthchail, Ath-leasachadh an Fhearainn agus nan Eilean
Incumbent
Mairi Gougeon
since 20 May 2021
Scottish Government
Scottish Cabinet
StyleCabinet Secretary
(within parliament)
Rural Affairs Secretary
(informal)
Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary
(outwith Scotland)
Member of
Reports toScottish Parliament
SeatEdinburgh
AppointerFirst Minister
Inaugural holderRoss Finnie
Minister for Rural Affairs
FormationMay 1999
DeputyMairi McAllan
(Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform)
Salary£118,511 per annum (2023)[1]
(including £67,662 MSP salary)
Websitewww.gov.scot

The current Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands is Mairi Gougeon, who was appointed in May 2021.

History

The position was created in 1999 as the Minister for Rural Affairs and renamed as the Minister for Rural Development in 2000 and again in 2001 as the Minister for the Environment and Rural Development. Following the 2007 election, the position of Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment was created, becoming the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment in a November 2014 reshuffle. Following the 2016 election, the position was the "Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity", but was again renamed to "Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy", with "connectivity" and Transport passing to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity.[3] In the third Sturgeon government, the role was re-styled to Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands. In the first Yusaf government, the role was re-styled to Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands.

Overview

Responsibilities

The Cabinet Secretary's responsibilities are agriculture and crofting, fisheries and aquaculture, food and drink, rural Scotland, forestry, animal health and welfare, and cross-government co-ordination on islands.[2]

Public bodies

The following public bodies report to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands:

List of office holders

Minister for Rural Affairs

Name Portrait Entered office Left office Party First Minister
Ross Finnie 19 May 1999 26 October 2000 Liberal Democrats Donald Dewar

Minister for Rural Development

Ross Finnie 26 October 2000 22 November 2001 Liberal Democrats Henry McLeish

Minister for the Environment and Rural Development

Ross Finnie 22 November 2001 17 May 2007[4] Liberal Democrats Jack McConnell

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment

Richard Lochhead 17 May 2007 21 November 2014 Scottish National Party Alex Salmond

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment

Richard Lochhead 21 November 2014 18 May 2016 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon

Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity

Fergus Ewing 18 May 2016 26 June 2018 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy

Fergus Ewing 26 June 2018 17 February 2020 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism

Fergus Ewing 17 February 2020 20 May 2021 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands

Mairi Gougeon 20 May 2021 29 March 2023 Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands

Mairi Gougeon 29 March 2023 Incumbent Scottish National Party Humza Yousaf

See also

References
  1. "MSP salaries". parliament.scot. The Scottish Parliament. 5 April 2023.
  2. "Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands". 20 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  3. "New Cabinet appointed". Scottish Government. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  4. "Ministers, Law Officers and Ministerial Parliamentary Aides, by Cabinet: Session 2" (PDF). Scottish Parliament. 8 June 2008. p. 8. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
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