Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
Encyclopedia
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth, commonly referred to as the Finance Secretary, is a member of the Cabinet in the Scottish Government. The Cabinet Secretary has ministerial responsibility for the Scottish Government's Finance Directorates and the enterprise and transport functions of the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department
.
The Cabinet Secretary has overall responsibility for the Scottish Economy
, public finances, Local government, trade and investment, planning, transport
, energy, tourism
, business and industry in Scotland and public service delivery. Scottish public bodies
for which the Cabinet Secretary has responsibility for include, Scottish Enterprise
, Highlands and Islands Enterprise
, Scottish Water
and visitscotland
. Executive agencies under the jurisdiction of the Cabinet Secretary include Transport Scotland
, the Scottish Public Pensions Agency
, the Scottish Building Standards Agency
.
John Swinney
was recommended to the Queen for appointment to this post on 17th May 2007 by the Scottish Parliament
and was sworn into office on 22nd May 2007.
The Cabinet Secretary is assisted in his role by two Junior Ministers in the Scottish Government - the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism (currently Fergus Ewing MSP
) and the Minister for Local Government and Planning (currently Aileen Campbell MSP
.)
in 1999, the Government of First Minister Donald Dewar instituted the position as the Minister for Finance, which was renamed the Minister for Finance and Local Government in the Government of Henry McLeish from 2000 to 2001. In the first Government of Jack McConnell, from 2001 to 2003, the position was renamed as the Minister for Finance and Public Services, changed to the Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform after a reshuffle of the Second McConnell government in 2004. The Government of Alex Salmond combined the Minister for Finance element, with that of Enterprise and Transport to create the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth.
Scottish Executive Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department
The Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department was a former Scottish Executive department responsible for economic and industrial development, further and higher education, skills, lifelong learning, energy, transport and digital connectivity until 2007.Philip Rycroft was appointed...
.
The Cabinet Secretary has overall responsibility for the Scottish Economy
Economy of Scotland
The economy of Scotland is closely linked with the rest of the United Kingdom and the wider European Economic Area. Scotland has the second largest GVA per capita of countries in the United Kingdom after England, though it is still lower than the average of the United Kingdom as a whole...
, public finances, Local government, trade and investment, planning, transport
Transport in Scotland
The transport system in Scotland is generally well-developed. The Scottish Parliament has control over most elements of transport policy within Scotland and the Scottish Government's Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department is responsible for the Scottish transport network with...
, energy, tourism
Tourism in Scotland
Scotland is a well-developed tourist destination, with tourism generally being responsible for sustaining 200,000 jobs mainly in the service sector, with tourist spending averaging at £4bn per year. Tourists from the United Kingdom make up the bulk of visitors to Scotland...
, business and industry in Scotland and public service delivery. Scottish public bodies
Scottish public bodies
Public bodies of the Scottish Government are organisations that are funded by the Scottish Government. It includes executive and advisory non-departmental public bodies ; tribunals; and nationalised industries....
for which the Cabinet Secretary has responsibility for include, Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise is a sponsored non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government which encourages economic development, enterprise, innovation and investment in business...
, Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Highlands and Islands Enterprise is the Scottish Government's economic and community development agency for a diverse region which covers more than half of Scotland and is home to around 450,000 people....
, Scottish Water
Scottish Water
Scottish Water is a statutory corporation in Scotland that provides water and sewerage services. Unlike in England and Wales, water and sewerage provision in Scotland continues as a public corporation accountable to the public through the Scottish Government....
and visitscotland
VisitScotland
VisitScotland is Scotland's national tourism agency. It is a public body, with offices in Edinburgh, Inverness, London as well as other parts of Scotland...
. Executive agencies under the jurisdiction of the Cabinet Secretary include Transport Scotland
Transport Scotland
Transport Scotland was created on 1 January 2006 as the national transport agency of Scotland. It is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government's Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department and accountable to Scottish Ministers...
, the Scottish Public Pensions Agency
Scottish Public Pensions Agency
The Scottish Public Pensions Agency is an executive agency of the Scottish Government. It is responsible for the administration and regulation of government pension schemes in Scotland...
, the Scottish Building Standards Agency
Scottish Building Standards Agency
The Scottish Building Standards Agency was an executive agency of the Scottish Government. It was responsible for building standards regulations in Scotland.The Agency was based in Livingston, West Lothian.-History:...
.
John Swinney
John Swinney
John Ramsey Swinney is the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire North, having previously represented North Tayside...
was recommended to the Queen for appointment to this post on 17th May 2007 by the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
and was sworn into office on 22nd May 2007.
The Cabinet Secretary is assisted in his role by two Junior Ministers in the Scottish Government - the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism (currently Fergus Ewing MSP
Fergus Ewing
Fergus Ewing is the Scottish Government's Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Inverness and Nairn.- Background :...
) and the Minister for Local Government and Planning (currently Aileen Campbell MSP
Aileen Campbell
Aileen Campbell is the Scottish Government Minister for Local Government and Planning and is Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Clydesdale....
.)
History
Following devolutionDevolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
in 1999, the Government of First Minister Donald Dewar instituted the position as the Minister for Finance, which was renamed the Minister for Finance and Local Government in the Government of Henry McLeish from 2000 to 2001. In the first Government of Jack McConnell, from 2001 to 2003, the position was renamed as the Minister for Finance and Public Services, changed to the Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform after a reshuffle of the Second McConnell government in 2004. The Government of Alex Salmond combined the Minister for Finance element, with that of Enterprise and Transport to create the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth.
List of Office holders
Minister for Finance |
|||||
| Name | Entered Office | Left Office | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jack McConnell Jack McConnell Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale is a British Labour life peer in the House of Lords. He was third First Minister of Scotland from 2001 to 2007, making him the longest serving First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament... |
19 May 1999 | 26 October 2000 | Scottish Labour Party Scottish Labour Party The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland.... |
|
Minister for Finance and Local Government |
|||||
| 2. | Angus Mackay Angus MacKay (politician) Angus MacKay is a Scottish Labour politician, and was Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh South constituency from 1999 to 2003.... |
26 October 2000 | 22 November 2001 | Scottish Labour Party Scottish Labour Party The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland.... |
|
Minister for Finance and Public Services |
|||||
| 3. | Andy Kerr | 22 November 2001 | 4 October 2004 | Scottish Labour Party Scottish Labour Party The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland.... |
|
Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform |
|||||
| 4. | Tom McCabe Tom McCabe Thomas "Tom" McCabe is a Scottish Labour Party politician, a former Minister for Finance in the Scottish Executive, and was Member of the Scottish Parliament for Hamilton South until May 2011.... |
4 October 2004 | 16 May 2007 | Scottish Labour Party Scottish Labour Party The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland.... |
|
Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth |
|||||
| 5. | John Swinney John Swinney John Ramsey Swinney is the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire North, having previously represented North Tayside... |
17 May 2007 | Incumbent | Scottish National Party Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom.... |
|
See also
- Cabinet (government)Cabinet (government)A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
- Government MinisterMinister (government)A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
- Ministry