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.

Scotland
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice
Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Ceartas Sòisealta
since 29 March 2023
Social Security Scotland
Scottish Government
Scottish Cabinet
StyleCabinet Secretary
(within parliament)
Social Justice Secretary
(informal)
Scottish Social Justice Secretary
(outwith Scotland)
Member of
Reports toScottish Parliament
SeatEdinburgh
AppointerFirst Minister
Inaugural holderShona Robison
Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners' Rights
Formation22 April 2014
Deputy
Salary£118,511 per annum (2023)[1]
(including £67,662 MSP salary)
Websitewww.gov.scot

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

History

edit

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

edit

Responsibilities

edit

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

Public bodies

edit

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

List of office holders

edit
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
John Swinney

References

edit
  1. ^ "MSP salaries". parliament.scot. The Scottish Parliament. 5 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b "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".
  5. ^ "New Cabinet appointed". Scottish Government. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  6. ^ "New Scottish Cabinet". Scottish Government. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
edit