The Minister for Social Security and Local Government is a
junior ministerial post in the
Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister does not attend the
Scottish Cabinet.
Scotland Act (1998)
''Only those appointed under Section 47 of the Scotland Act "attend" Cabinet. Junior ministers are appointed under Section 49 and may be "present".'' The minister supports the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, who has overall responsible for the portfolio.Ben Macpherson
Bennett William Macpherson is an Australian conductor who received a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2002 for his services to music as a conductor and choirmaster.
Early life
Macpherson was originally a student member of the Perth Univers ...
MSP, who was appointed on 20 May 2021.[
]
Overview
The Minister has responsibility for:
* Housing
* Social security
* Local government
* Planning and building standards
* Business Improvement Districts
* Community planning
* Homelessness
* Regeneration
* Fuel poverty
History
In 2011, the position of Minister for Local Government and Planning was created; the portfolio changed in November 2014 following a reshuffle by Nicola Sturgeon
Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2014. She is the first woman to hold either position. She has been a member of ...
when she became First Minister of Scotland
The first minister of Scotland ( sco, heid meinister o Scotland; gd, prìomh mhinistear na h-Alba ) is the head of the Scottish Government and keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. The first minister chairs ...
. The post was rebranded at that point to Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment.
In September 2012, the junior post of Minister for Housing and Welfare was announced, with a portfolio intended to reflect the important role of housing in aiding economic recovery and the challenges that face those in poverty. In May 2016, Nicola Sturgeon reshuffled junior ministers and the post joined local government and housing in a new Minister for Local Government and Housing role. Planning was added to the title in June 2018. The title was changed in May 2021 at the start of the third Sturgeon government, with the post also taking responsibility for social security, which between 2018 and 2021 was the responsibility of a separate cabinet-level post, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People.[
]
List of office holders
References
External links
The Scottish Cabinet
on Scottish Government website
Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
on Scottish Government website
Scottish Parliament
Local Government, Housing and Planning
Local government in Scotland
Town and country planning in Scotland
Community empowerment
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