Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform
Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform | |
---|---|
since 18 May 2016 | |
Style | Cabinet Secretary Environment Secretary |
Appointer | First Minister |
Inaugural holder | John Home Robertson Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Land Reform |
Formation | July 1999 |
Website | www |
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform is a cabinet post in the Scottish Government. The Cabinet Secretary is responsible for:[1]
- policy on climate change, environmental protection and biodiversity;
- environmental and climate justice;
- flood prevention & coastal erosion;
- land use and land reform;
- animal welfare;
- wildlife crime;
- water quality and Scottish Water; and
- Crown Estate Scotland.
The Cabinet Secretary is supported by the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, who also reports to the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy.[2]
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.[3] 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 Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform is Roseanna Cunningham.
References
- ^ "Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform". Scottish Government. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
- ^ "Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment". Scottish Government. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
- ^ "Scottish Executive - Scottish Cabinet and Ministers". Scottish Executive. Retrieved 25 July 2007.
External links
- Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform on the Scottish Government website