Scottish Parliament Fact Sheet Ministers, Law Officers and Parliamentary Liaison Officers by Cabinet: Session 5 19 May 2021 MSPs: Historical Series

This Fact Sheet provides a list of all of the Scottish Ministers and Parliamentary Liaison Officer by Cabinet, during Session 5 (12 May 2016 - 4 May 2021).

This Fact Sheet provides a list of Ministers and Law Officers. The Act 1998 refers to them as Scottish Ministers, junior Scottish Ministers and Law Officers. The current government calls them Cabinet Secretaries, Ministers and Law Officers.

In addition to the First Minister there are currently nine Cabinet Secretaries and twelve Ministers. Together they make up the Scottish Government. The government is responsible for devolved matters and formulating and implementing policy in these areas.

There are also two Law Officers who advise the government on legal matters and represent its interests in court.

The final section lists Parliamentary Liaison Officers (PLO) (formerly Ministerial Parliamentary Aides). PLOs are MSPs appointed by the First Minister on the recommendation of Ministers whom they assist in discharging their duties. PLOs are unpaid and are not part of the Scottish Government.

Abbreviations used: SNP Scottish National Party QC Queen’s Counsel

First Cabinet: 18 May 2016 – 5 September 2016

Post Minister Party First Minister Nicola Sturgeon1 SNP Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education John Swinney SNP and Skills Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution Derek Mackay2 SNP Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Shona Robison SNP Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Roseanna Cunningham SNP Land Reform Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop SNP Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Angela Constance SNP Equalities Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson SNP Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Keith Brown SNP Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity Fergus Ewing3 SNP Chief Whip Bill Kidd SNP Minister for Childcare and Early Years Mark McDonald4 SNP Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Shirley-Anne Somerville5 SNP Science Minister for Parliamentary Business Joe FitzPatrick SNP Minister for Transport and the Islands Humza Yousaf SNP Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy Paul Wheelhouse SNP Minister for Employability and Training Jamie Hepburn SNP Minister for Public Health and Sport Aileen Campbell SNP Minister for Mental Health Maureen Watt SNP Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs Annabelle Ewing SNP Minister for Local Government and Housing Kevin Stewart6 SNP Minister for Social Security Jeane Freeman7 SNP Minister for International Development and Europe Alasdair Allan SNP

Law Officers

Post Law Officer Lord Advocate QC8 Solicitor General for Scotland Alison Di Rollo9

1 Appointed 17 May 2016 2 Appointed 19 May 2016 3 Appointed 19 May 2016 4 Appointed 19 May 2016 5 Appointed 19 May 2016 6 Appointed 19 May 2016 7 Appointed 19 May 2016 8 Appointed 1 June 2016 9 Appointed 1 June 2016

Parliamentary Liaison Officers: 14 June 2016 – 31 August 2016

Parliamentary Liaison Officer to the MSP Office of the First Minister Ben Macpherson MSP Gail Ross MSP Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and George Adam MSP Equalities Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Ash Denham MSP Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Gillian Martin MSP Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth MSP Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Angus MacDonald Land Reform Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Constitution Kate Forbes MSP Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Tom Arthur MSP Cabinet Secretary for Justice Fulton MacGregor MSP Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity Emma Harper MSP

Second Cabinet: 6 September 2016 – 4 November 2017

Post Minister Party First Minister SNP Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education John Swinney SNP and Skills Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution Derek Mackay SNP Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Shona Robison SNP Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Roseanna Cunningham SNP Land Reform Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop SNP Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Angela Constance SNP Equalities Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson SNP Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Keith Brown SNP Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity Fergus Ewing SNP Chief Whip Bill Kidd SNP Minister for Childcare and Early Years Mark McDonald10 SNP Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP Science Minister for Parliamentary Business Joe FitzPatrick SNP Minister for Transport and the Islands Humza Yousaf SNP Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy Paul Wheelhouse SNP Minister for Employability and Training Jamie Hepburn SNP Minister for Public Health and Sport Aileen Campbell SNP Minister for Mental Health Maureen Watt SNP Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs Annabelle Ewing SNP Minister for Local Government and Housing Kevin Stewart SNP Minister for Social Security Jeane Freeman SNP Minister for International Development and Europe Alasdair Allan SNP Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe Michael Russell SNP

Law Officers

Post Law Officer Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC Solicitor General for Scotland Alison Di Rollo

10 Mark McDonald MSP resigned on 4 November 2017.

Parliamentary Liaison Officers: 1 September 2016 – 4 November 2017

Parliamentary Liaison Officer to the MSP Office of the First Minister Ben Macpherson MSP Gail Ross MSP Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Mairi Gougeon MSP11 Equalities Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Ash Denham MSP Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Ivan McKee MSP Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth MSP Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Gillian Martin MSP Land Reform Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Constitution Kate Forbes MSP Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Fulton MacGregor MSP Cabinet Secretary for Justice Tom Arthur MSP Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity Emma Harper MSP

11 Elected as Mairi Evans, she changed her name to Mairi Gougeon on 17 July 2017.

Third Cabinet: 4 November 2017 – 26 June 2018

Post Minister Party First Minister Nicola Sturgeon SNP Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education John Swinney SNP and Skills Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution Derek Mackay SNP Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Shona Robison SNP Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Roseanna Cunningham SNP Land Reform Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop SNP Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Angela Constance SNP Equalities Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson SNP Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Keith Brown SNP Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity Fergus Ewing SNP Chief Whip Bill Kidd SNP Minister for Childcare and Early Years Maree Todd12 SNP Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP Science Minister for Parliamentary Business Joe FitzPatrick SNP Minister for Transport and the Islands Humza Yousaf SNP Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy Paul Wheelhouse SNP Minister for Employability and Training Jamie Hepburn SNP Minister for Public Health and Sport Aileen Campbell SNP Minister for Mental Health Maureen Watt SNP Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs Annabelle Ewing SNP Minister for Local Government and Housing Kevin Stewart SNP Minister for Social Security Jeane Freeman SNP Minister for International Development and Europe Alasdair Allan SNP Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe Michael Russell SNP

Law Officers Post Law Officer Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC Solicitor General for Scotland Alison Di Rollo

12 Appointed 8 November 2017.

Parliamentary Liaison Officers: 4 November 2017 – 23 April 2018 Parliamentary Liaison Officer to the MSP Office of the First Minister Ben Macpherson MSP Gail Ross MSP Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Mairi Gougeon MSP Equalities Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Ash Denham MSP Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Ivan McKee MSP Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth MSP Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Gillian Martin MSP Land Reform Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Constitution Kate Forbes MSP Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Fulton MacGregor MSP Cabinet Secretary for Justice Tom Arthur MSP Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity Emma Harper MSP

Parliamentary Liaison Officers: 24 April 2018 – 26 June 2018 Parliamentary Liaison Officer to the MSP Office of the First Minister Ben Macpherson MSP Gail Ross MSP Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Mairi Gougeon MSP Equalities Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Tom Arthur MSP Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Ivan McKee MSP Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth MSP Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Gillian Martin MSP Land Reform Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Constitution Kate Forbes MSP Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Fulton MacGregor MSP Cabinet Secretary for Justice Fulton MacGregor MSP Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity Emma Harper MSP

Fourth Cabinet: 26 June 2018 – 17 February 2020

Post Minister Party First Minister Nicola Sturgeon SNP Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education John Swinney SNP and Skills Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government Aileen Campbell13 SNP Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman14 SNP Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Roseanna Cunningham SNP Land Reform Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop SNP Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Michael Russell15 SNP Constitutional Relations Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People Shirley-Anne Somerville16 SNP Cabinet Secretary for Justice Humza Yousaf17 SNP Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy Fergus Ewing SNP Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work Derek Mackay18 SNP Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Michael Matheson SNP Connectivity Chief Whip Bill Kidd SNP Minister for Children and Young People Maree Todd SNP Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing Joe FitzPatrick SNP Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills Jamie Hepburn SNP Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands Paul Wheelhouse SNP Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation Ivan McKee19 SNP Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey20 SNP Minister for Public Finance and Digital Economy Kate Forbes21 SNP Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans Graeme Dey22 SNP Minister for Housing, Local Government and Planning Kevin Stewart SNP Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development Ben Macpherson23 SNP Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment Mairi Gougeon24 SNP

13 Appointed 28 June 2018 14 Appointed 28 June 2018 15 Appointed 28 June 2018 16 Appointed 28 June 2018 17 Appointed 28 June 2018 18 Derek Mackay resigned on 5 February 2020. 19 Appointed 28 June 2018 20 Appointed 28 June 2018 21 Appointed 28 June 2018 22 Appointed 28 June 2018 23 Appointed 28 June 2018 24 Appointed 28 June 2018

Post Minister Party Minister for Community Safety Ash Denham25 SNP Minister for Older People and Equalities Christina McKelvie26 SNP Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Richard Lochhead27 SNP Science

Law Officers

Post Law Officer Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC Solicitor General for Scotland Alison Di Rollo

25 Appointed 28 June 2018 26 Appointed 28 June 2018 27 Appointed 4 September 2018

Fifth Cabinet: 17 February 2020 – 18 December 2020

Post Minister Party First Minister Nicola Sturgeon SNP Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education John Swinney SNP and Skills Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government Aileen Campbell SNP Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman SNP Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Roseanna Cunningham SNP Land Reform Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture Fiona Hyslop28 SNP Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Michael Russell29 SNP Affairs Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP Cabinet Secretary for Justice Humza Yousaf SNP Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism Fergus Ewing30 SNP Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Michael Matheson SNP Connectivity Cabinet Secretary for Finance Kate Forbes 31 SNP Chief Whip Bill Kidd SNP Minister for Children and Young People Maree Todd SNP Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing Joe FitzPatrick32 SNP Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills Jamie Hepburn SNP Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands Paul Wheelhouse SNP Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation Ivan McKee SNP Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey SNP Minister for Public Finance and Digital Economy Kate Forbes SNP Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans Graeme Dey SNP Minister for Housing, Local Government and Planning Kevin Stewart SNP Minister for Public Finance and Migration Ben Macpherson33 SNP Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment Mairi Gougeon SNP Minister for Community Safety Ash Denham SNP Minister for Older People and Equalities Christina McKelvie SNP Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Richard Lochhead SNP Science

28 Appointed 17 February 2020 29 Appointed 17 February 2020 30 Appointed 17 February 2020 31 Appointed 18 February 2020 32 Resigned 18 December 2020 33 Appointed 17 February 2020

Post Minister Party Minister for Europe and International Development Jenny Gilruth34 SNP

Law Officers

Post Law Officer Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC Solicitor General for Scotland Alison Di Rollo

34 Appointed 18 February 2020

Sixth Cabinet: 21 December 2020 – 19 May 2021

Post Minister Party First Minister Nicola Sturgeon SNP Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education John Swinney SNP and Skills Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government Aileen Campbell SNP Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman SNP Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Roseanna Cunningham SNP Land Reform Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture Fiona Hyslop35 SNP Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Michael Russell36 SNP Affairs Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP Cabinet Secretary for Justice Humza Yousaf SNP Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism Fergus Ewing37 SNP Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Michael Matheson SNP Connectivity Cabinet Secretary for Finance Kate Forbes 38 SNP Chief Whip Bill Kidd SNP Minister for Children and Young People Maree Todd SNP Minister for Public Health and Sport Mairi Gougeon39 SNP Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills Jamie Hepburn SNP Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands Paul Wheelhouse SNP Minister for Trade, Innovation and Public Finance Ivan McKee40 SNP Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey SNP Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans Graeme Dey SNP Minister for Housing, Local Government and Planning Kevin Stewart SNP Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment Ben Macpherson41 SNP Minister for Community Safety Ash Denham SNP Minister for Older People and Equalities Christina McKelvie SNP Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Richard Lochhead SNP Science Minister for Europe and International Development Jenny Gilruth42 SNP

35 Appointed 17 February 2020 36 Appointed 17 February 2020 37 Appointed 17 February 2020 38 Appointed 18 February 2020 39 Appointed 21 December 2020 40 Appointed 21 December 2020 41 Appointed 21 December 2020 42 Appointed 18 February 2020

Post Minister Party Minister for Drugs Policy Angela Constance43 SNP

43 Appointed 22 December 2020

RELATED FACT SHEETS

Ministers, Law Officers and Ministerial Parliamentary Aides by Cabinet: Session 1 Ministers, Law Officers and Ministerial Parliamentary Aides by Cabinet: Session 2 Ministers, Law Officers and Parliamentary Liaison Officers by Cabinet: Session 3 Ministers, Law Officers and Parliamentary Liaison Officers by Cabinet: Session 4

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