Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice

Scotland
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice
Scotland; Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice
Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Ceartas Sòisealta;
	Incumbent; Shirley-Anne Somerville; since 29 March 2023
	Social Security Scotland; Scottish Government; Scottish Cabinet
Style	Cabinet Secretary ; (within parliament) ; Social Justice Secretary ; (informal) ; Scottish Social Justice Secretary ; (outwith Scotland)
Member of	Scottish Parliament; Scottish Cabinet;
Reports to	Scottish Parliament
Seat	Edinburgh
Appointer	First Minister
Inaugural holder	Shona Robison ; Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners' Rights
Formation	22 April 2014
Deputy	Minister for Equalities; Minister for Housing;
Salary	£118,511 per annum (2023); (including £67,662 MSP salary)
Website	www.gov.scot

The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Ceartas Sòisealta), commonly referred to as the Social Justice Secretary, is a position in the Scottish Government Cabinet. The Cabinet Secretary has overall responsibility for community planning, housing, social security, the third sector. The current Cabinet Secretary is Shirley-Anne Somerville since 2023.

The Cabinet Secretary is assisted by two junior Ministers, the Minister for Equalities and the Minister for Housing.^[2]

History

From 2007 to 2009 the Minister for Communities and Sport was a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. In 2009, sport was linked with public health and the role became the Minister for Housing and Communities.

Following the 2011 election, the role was reorganised as Minister for Housing and Welfare^[3] but as a junior ministerial position, the Minister did not attend the Scottish Cabinet.^[4]

A cabinet post was created in April 2014 as a result of Alex Salmond's gender-balancing cabinet reshuffle. The post was Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners' Rights with Shona Robison at the helm. This was short-lived, however, as the job was further restyled as Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights as a result of Nicola Sturgeon's first reshuffle after she became First Minister in November 2014, with Alex Neil being given the role.

This was further rebranded in May 2016 as Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities in the second Sturgeon government, being held by Angela Constance.

Between 2018 and 2021 the role was divided between Shirley-Anne Somerville as Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People, and Aileen Campbell as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government.^[5]

Following the appointment for the third Sturgeon government, the role was re-merged with Shona Robison appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government.^[6]

Shirley-Anne Somerville was re-appointed to the role, as Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, at the start of the first Yousaf government and retained her position in the second Yousaf government and the Swinney government.

Overview

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice are:^[2]

Baby Box
benefit automation and advice services
human rights
minimum income guarantee
Ministerial Taskforce on Population
national mission for tackling child poverty
Office of Chief Social Policy Advisor
Scottish Government benefits (development and delivery)
Scottish Welfare Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs)
social justice, tackling poverty and inequalities
Social Security Scotland
third sector, social enterprises and Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)
UN treaty incorporation including United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

Public bodies

The following public bodies report to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government:

List of office holders

Name				Portrait		Entered office		Left office		Party		First Minister
Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners' Rights
	Shona Robison					22 April 2014		21 November 2014		Scottish National Party		Alex Salmond
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights
	Alex Neil					21 November 2014		18 May 2016		Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon
Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities
	Angela Constance					18 May 2016		26 June 2018		Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon
Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People							Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government
Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Party	First Minister	Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Party	First Minister
	Shirley-Anne Somerville		26 June 2018	20 May 2021	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon		Aileen Campbell		26 June 2018	20 May 2021	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
Name				Portrait		Entered office		Left office		Party		First Minister
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government
	Shona Robison					20 May 2021		28 March 2023		Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice
	Shirley-Anne Somerville					29 March 2023		Incumbent		Scottish National Party		Humza Yousaf
	Shirley-Anne Somerville					29 March 2023		Incumbent		Scottish National Party		John Swinney

References

^ "MSP salaries". parliament.scot. The Scottish Parliament. 5 April 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice". gov.scot. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
^ "Scottish Parliament Fact sheet Ministers, Law Officers and Parliamentary Liaison Officers by Cabinet: Session 4" (PDF). Scottish Parliament. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
^ Scotland Act (1998), Only those appointed under Section 47 of the Scotland Act "attend" Cabinet. Junior ministers are appointed under Section 49 and may be "present".
^ "New Cabinet appointed". Scottish Government. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ "New Scottish Cabinet". Scottish Government. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.

External links

Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government on the Scottish Government website

[1] "MSP salaries". parliament.scot. The Scottish Parliament. 5 April 2023.

[may2024-2] "Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice". gov.scot. Retrieved 10 May 2024.

[3] "Scottish Parliament Fact sheet Ministers, Law Officers and Parliamentary Liaison Officers by Cabinet: Session 4" (PDF). Scottish Parliament. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.

[4] Scotland Act (1998), Only those appointed under Section 47 of the Scotland Act "attend" Cabinet. Junior ministers are appointed under Section 49 and may be "present".

[june2018-5] "New Cabinet appointed". Scottish Government. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.

[may2021-6] "New Scottish Cabinet". Scottish Government. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.

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v t e Scottish Cabinet
Swinney government
First Minister	John Swinney
Deputy First Minister	Kate Forbes
Cabinet Secretaries	Kate Forbes (Economy and Gaelic) Shona Robison (Finance and Local Government) Neil Gray (Health and Social Care) Jenny Gilruth (Education and Skills) Màiri McAllan (Net Zero and Energy) Fiona Hyslop (Transport) Mairi Gougeon (Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands) Angus Robertson (Constitution, External Affairs and Culture) Shirley-Anne Somerville (Social Justice) Angela Constance (Justice and Home Affairs)
May attend cabinet	Dorothy Bain (Lord Advocate) John-Paul Marks (Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government) Jamie Hepburn (Minister for Parliamentary Business) Colin McAllister (Chief of Staff to the First Minister)
Category Politics of Scotland