Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform explained

Post:
Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform
Incumbent:Office not in use
Incumbentsince:19 May 2021
Style:Cabinet Secretary
Environment Secretary
Appointer:First Minister
Formation:July 1999
Inaugural:John Home Robertson
Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Land Reform

The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform was a cabinet post in the Scottish Government. The Cabinet Secretary was supported by the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, who also reported to the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy.[1]

Overview

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform:

Public bodies

The following public bodies report to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform:

History

In the first Dewar Government, the environment brief was the responsibility of the Minister for Transport and Environment and the Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Land Reform, changing to the Minister of the Environment, Sport and Culture and the Deputy Minister for Rural Development from 2000 to 2001. From 2001 and 2007, environment was combined with the rural affairs brief for the Minister for the Environment and Rural Development, with the associated deputy post of Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development.

The Salmond government, elected following the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, created the junior ministerial post of the Minister for Environment who assisted the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, in the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department. A junior minister did not attend the Scottish Cabinet unless his/her Cabinet Secretary was absent. The Minister for Environment and Climate Change and Land Reform took the lead role in environment and natural heritage, crofting, forestry, aquaculture, sport fishing, land reform, access, water quality regulation, sustainable development and climate change.[2] In 2010, Climate Change was added to the Environment portfolio becoming Minister for Environment and Climate Change. Land reform was added to the title in November 2014 after Nicola Sturgeon's first reshuffle on her appointment to First Minister of Scotland.

The Ministerial post was abolished in May 2016 at the beginning of the second Sturgeon government. The duties of the junior Ministerial post were upgraded to full Cabinet Secretary status at that point as the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform.

List of office holders

The final Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform was Roseanna Cunningham.

Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Land Reform

NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
1.John Home Robertson19 May 19992 November 2000Labour

Deputy Minister for Rural Development

2.Rhona Brankin2 November 200029 November 2001Labour

Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development

3.Allan Wilson29 November 20011 October 2004Labour
4.Lewis Macdonald1 October 200427 June 2005Labour
5.Rhona Brankin27 June 200514 November 2006Labour
6.Sarah Boyack14 November 200617 May 2007Labour

Minister for Environment

7.Michael Russell17 May 200712 February 2009Scottish National Party
8.Roseanna Cunningham12 February 200911 December 2010Scottish National Party

Minister for Environment and Climate Change

9.Roseanna Cunningham11 December 201024 May 2011Scottish National Party
10.Stewart Stevenson25 May 20116 September 2012Scottish National Party
11.Paul Wheelhouse6 September 201221 November 2014Scottish National Party

Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform

12.Aileen McLeod21 November 201418 May 2016Scottish National Party

Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform

13.Roseanna Cunningham18 May 201619 May 2021Scottish National Party

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment. Scottish Government. 2018-07-26.
  2. Web site: Scottish Executive - Scottish Cabinet and Ministers . Scottish Executive . 2007-07-25.