The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution. Its areas for responsibility of decision making and domestic policy in the country include the economy, education, healthcare, justice and the legal system, rural affairs, housing, the crown estate, the environment, the fire service, equal opportunities, the transportation network, and tax, amongst others.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the entire United Kingdom. Concordats set out agreed frameworks for cooperation, between it and the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, which have devolved responsibilities for these matters in their respective nations.
The Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity is a member of the Scottish Government who reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands. As a Junior Minister the post holder is not a member of the Scottish Government Cabinet.
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, commonly referred to as the Rural Affairs Secretary, is a position in the Scottish Government Cabinet. The incumbent Cabinet Secretary is Mairi Gougeon, who was appointed in May 2021.
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform was a cabinet post in the Scottish Government. The Cabinet Secretary was supported by the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, who also reported to the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy.
The work of the Scottish Government is carried out by Directorates, each headed by a Director. The Directorates are grouped into a number of Directorates-General families, each headed by a Director-General. However, the individual Directorates are the building blocks of the system. The Directorates are further broken down into 'Divisions' and then by Units and finally by Teams. Divisions usually consist of 25-50 people. There is no direct correspondence between the political responsibilities of the Ministers in the Scottish Government and the Directorates, although in some cases there is considerable overlap. The Directorates are also responsible for a number of government agencies and non-departmental public bodies. Some government work is also carried out by Executive Agencies such as Transport Scotland, who sit outside the Directorates structure, but are also staffed by civil servants.
Scottish Parliament committees are small groups of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) who meet on a regular basis to scrutinise the work of the Scottish Government, conduct inquiries into subjects within their remit and examine legislation. Much of the everyday work of the Scottish Parliament is done by these committees.
The Scottish Government Rural Affairs, Environment and Services Directorates were a group of civil service Directorates in the Scottish Government until a December 2010 re-organisation.
The Scottish Government Economy Directorates are a group of Directorates of the Scottish Government. They were rebranded as the Economy Directorates in July 2016, having previously been reorganised in December 2010 and then in June 2014. In July 2021, a further re-organisation led to the creation of the Net Zero Directorates, with Agriculture & Rural Economy, Marine Scotland, Energy & Climate Change, Environment & Forestry, Transport Scotland, Forestry and Land Scotland and Scottish Forestry moving to the new Directorate General.
The Scottish Government Finance Directorates are a group of civil service Directorates in the Scottish Government created by a December 2010 re-organisation.
The Scottish Government Education and Justice Directorates are a group of civil service Directorates in the Scottish Government created by a re-organisation.
The Communities Directorates are a group of civil service Directorates in the Scottish Government. The individual Directorates within the overarching Communities Directorates report to the Director-General, Louise MacDonald.
Gillian Anne Martin is a Scottish politician who has served as Minister for Climate Action since 2023, and as acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy since July 2024, filling the latter role on an interim basis for the duration of Màiri McAllan's maternity leave.A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Aberdeenshire East since 2016.
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic is a position in the Scottish cabinet since May 2024. The current Cabinet Secretary is Kate Forbes, who has served since May 2024 alongside her role as Deputy First Minister.
The Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform was a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister did not attend the Scottish Cabinet, but supported the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport who continues to attend the cabinet.
This article gives an overview of the structure of environmental and cultural conservation in Scotland, a constituent country of the United Kingdom.
Màiri Louise McAllan is a Scottish politician serving as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy since 2024. She previously served as Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition from 2023 to 2024 and Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform from 2021 to 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Clydesdale since 2021. McAllan is a former corporate solicitor, who also served as a special advisor to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon prior to her election to the Scottish Parliament.
The Minister for Climate Action is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet but reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy.
John Swinney formed the Swinney government on 8 May 2024, following his appointment as first minister of Scotland at the Court of Session.
The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, commonly referred to as the Net Zero Secretary, is a Scottish Government Cabinet position with responsibility for the Net Zero and energy policy of Scotland. The incumbent is Màiri McAllan who has held the brief in various forms since March 2023. She is currently on maternity leave, with the Minister for Climate Action, Gillian Martin filling the role on an interim basis, with McAllan expected to return in March 2025.
