Ministers & Law Officers

Office of the First Minister

Alex Salmond MSPThe Right Hon Alex Salmond MSP

Head of the devolved Scottish Government. Responsible for development, implementation and presentation of Government policy, constitutional affairs including Referendum Bill, and for promoting and representing Scotland.


Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy

Nicola Sturgeon MSP Nicola Sturgeon MSP

Responsibilities include: NHS, health service reform, allied healthcare services, acute and primary services, performance, quality and improvement framework, health promotion, sport, Commonwealth Games, public health, health improvement, pharmaceutical services, food safety and dentistry, community care, older people, mental health, learning disability, carers, Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland, substance misuse, social inclusion, equalities, anti-poverty measures, veterans, and cities strategy.


Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport

Shona Robison MSPShona Robison MSP


Minister for Public Health

Michael Matheson MSPMichael Matheson MSP


Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth

Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth

John Swinney MSP John Swinney MSP

Responsibilities include: The economy, the Scottish Budget, employment, public service reform, deregulation, local government, public service delivery, and community planning, Registers of Scotland, Scottish Public Pensions Agency, relocation, e-government, budgetary monitoring, business and industry including Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, trade and inward investment, corporate social responsibility, voluntary sector and the social economy, community business and co-operative development, energy, renewables, tourism, building standards, land use planning system.


Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism

Fergus Ewing MSPFergus Ewing MSP


Minister for Local Government and Planning

Derek Mackay MSPDerek Mackay MSP


Education & Lifelong Learning

Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning

Michael Russell MSPMichael Russell MSP

Responsibilities include: Further and higher education, science and lifelong learning, school education, early years, training and skills, new education agency, the Scottish Qualifications Authority, nurseries and childcare, children's services, children's hearings, social work, Gaelic and Scots.


Minister for Children and Young People

Aileen Campbell MSPAileen Campbell MSP


Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland's Languages

Alasdair Allan MSPAlasdair Allan MSP


Minister for Youth Employment

Angela Constance MSPAngela Constance MSP


Parliament and Government Strategy

Cabinet Secretary for Parliament and Government Strategy

Bruce Crawford MSPBruce Crawford MSP

Responsibilities include: Parliamentary affairs and the management of Government business in the Parliament, and developing Government strategy and co-ordinating policy delivery across portfolios.


Minister for Parliamentary Business and Chief Whip

Brian Adam MSPBrian Adam MSP


Justice

Cabinet Secretary for Justice

Kenny MacAskill MSPKenny MacAskill MSP

Responsibilities include: Criminal law and procedure, youth justice, criminal justice social work, police, prisons and sentencing policy, legal aid, legal profession, courts and law reform, anti-social behaviour, sectarianism, human rights, fire and rescue services, community safety, civil contingencies, drugs policy and related matters, liquor licensing, vulnerable witnesses, victim support and civil law, charity law, religious and faith organisations.


Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs (with responsibility for tackling sectarianism)

Roseanna Cunningham MSPRoseanna Cunningham MSP


Rural Affairs and the Environment

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment

Richard Lochhead MSPRichard Lochhead MSP

Responsibilities include: Agriculture, fisheries and rural development including aquaculture and forestry, environment and natural heritage, land reform, water quality regulation, sustainable development and climate change.


Minister for Environment and Climate Change

Stewart Stevenson MSPStewart Stevenson MSP


Culture and External Affairs

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs

Fiona Hyslop MSPFiona Hyslop MSP

Responsibilities include: Europe, external affairs, culture and the arts, broadcasting, architecture, built heritage, Historic Scotland and lottery funding, National Records of Scotland, and major events strategy.


Infrastructure and Capital Investment

Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment

Alex Neil MSPAlex Neil MSP

Responsibilities include: Scottish Water, procurement, European Structural Funds, Scottish Futures Trust, transport policy and delivery, public transport, road, rail services, air and ferry services, housing, communities and regeneration.


Minister for Housing and Transport

Keith Brown MSPKeith Brown MSP


Law Officers

Lord Advocate

Frank Mulholland MSPFrank Mulholland

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, prosecution of crime, investigation of sudden deaths, complaints against the police, support for victims and witnesses of crime, international cooperation (including mutual legal assistance and extradition), confiscation of proceeds of crime.


Solicitor General

Lesley Thomson

Legal advice to Scottish Ministers, civil litigation, constitutional issues and appointment of Counsel.


Further information

Scottish Government information about the work of the Scottish Cabinet