| Post: | Minister for Business |
| Native Name: | Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic: Ministear airson Gnothachais |
| Incumbent: | Richard Lochhead |
| Incumbentsince: | 29 March 2023 |
| Style: | Minister (within parliament) Business Minister (informal) Scottish Business Minister (outwith Scotland) |
| Appointer: | First Minister |
| Formation: | 17 May 2007 |
| Inaugural: | Jim Mather |
| Reports To: | Scottish Parliament |
| Salary: | £106,185 per annum [1] (including £72,196 MSP salary) |
| Seat: | Edinburgh |
The Minister for Business is a Junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister does not attend[2] the Scottish Cabinet. The post was retitled in May 2024, with the Minister supporting the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, Kate Forbes.[3]
The current Minister for Business is Richard Lochhead.
Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism | |||||||
| Name | width=75 | Portrait | Entered Office | Left Office | Party | First Minister | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Mather | 17 May 2007 | 20 May 2011 | Scottish National Party | Alex Salmond | |||
Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism | |||||||
| Fergus Ewing | 20 May 2011 | 18 May 2016 | Scottish National Party | ||||
Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy | |||||||
| Paul Wheelhouse | 18 May 2016 | 27 June 2018 | Scottish National Party | ||||
Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills | |||||||
| Jamie Hepburn | 27 June 2018 | 20 May 2021 | Scottish National Party | ||||
Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise | |||||||
| Ivan McKee | 20 May 2021 | 29 March 2023 | Scottish National Party | ||||
Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade | |||||||
| Richard Lochhead | 29 March 2023 | 8 May 2024 | Scottish National Party | ||||
Minister for Business | |||||||
| Richard Lochhead | 8 May 2024 | Incumbent | Scottish National Party | ||||
From 1999 to 2007, enterprise and energy were the responsibility of the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning. The Second McConnell government from 2003 to 2007 instituted Tourism as a portfolio, combined with Culture and Sport, as the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport. The Salmond government, elected following the 2007 Scottish Parliament election created the junior post of Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism by combining the roles. In November 2014 his post became the Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, as part of the first Sturgeon government. The post was retitled as Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy as part of the second Sturgeon government, and renamed again in June 2018 to Business, Fair Work and Skills.[3] Upon the creation of the Third Sturgeon Government, the post was once more retitled as Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise.