Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity

The Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity is a position in the Scottish Government Cabinet. The Cabinet Secretary is responsible for rural Scotland, Highlands Islands Enterprise, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, food and drink, crofting, transport and connectivity, including 100 per cent broadband. The Cabinet Secretary was assisted by the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform until 2016, when that role was given its own Cabinet level post. The Cabinet Secretary is assisted by the Minister for Transport and the Islands.

The current Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity is Fergus Ewing, who was appointed in May 2016.

History

The position was created in 1999 as the Minister for Rural Affairs it was renamed as the Minister for Rural Development in 2000 and again in 2001 as the Minister for the Environment and Rural Development, the current position of Cabinet Secretary was created following the 2007 election.

Overview

Responsibilities

The Cabinet Secretary's responsibilities are rural Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, food and drink, crofting, transport and connectivity, including 100 per cent broadband.

Public bodies

The following public bodies report to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment:

• Cairngorms National Park Authority
• Crofting Commission
• Food Standards Scotland
• Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority
• Quality Meat Scotland
• Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
• Scottish Agricultural Wages Board
• Scottish Canals
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• Scottish Natural Heritage

List of office holders

Minister for Rural Affairs
Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Party	First Minister
	Ross Finnie	75px	19 May 1999	26 October 2000	Liberal Democrats		Donald Dewar
Minister for Rural Development
	Ross Finnie	75px	26 October 2000	22 November 2001	Liberal Democrats		Henry McLeish
Minister for the Environment and Rural Development
	Ross Finnie	75px	22 November 2001	16 May 2007	Liberal Democrats		Jack McConnell
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment
	Richard Lochhead	75px	16 May 2007	21 November 2014	Scottish National Party		Alex Salmond
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment
	Richard Lochhead	75px	21 November 2014	18 May 2016	Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon
Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity
	Fergus Ewing		18 May 2016	Incumbent	Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon

See also

• List of Scottish ministers of the environment