, insignia = Scottish Government Logo

, image = Official portrait of rural affairs secretary Mairi Gourgeon.jpg , incumbent =

Mairi Gougeon Mairi Angela Gougeon ( née Evans; born 23 April 1985) is a Scottish politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands since 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottis ...

, incumbentsince = 20 May 2021 , style = Cabinet Secretary
(within parliament)
Rural Affairs Secretary
(informal)
Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary
(outwith Scotland) , department = Scottish Government
Scottish Cabinet , appointer =

First Minister A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of '' ...

, formation = May 1999 , inaugural =

Ross Finnie James Ross Finnie (born 11 February 1947) is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and a former Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). He is a former Minister for the Environment and Rural Development in the Scottish Executive, and Member ...

Minister for Rural Affairs , website = , seat =

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, salary = £118,511 per annum
(including £67,662 MSP salary) , reports_to =

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...

, member_of = , deputy =

Mairi McAllan Mairi may refer to: Given name Mairi or Màiri is a given name, a Scottish Gaelic form of Mary. Notable people with this name include: *Mairi MacEwan, (born 2003) Scottish dancer from Aberdeen *Mairi Campbell, Scottish singer and musician *Mairi C ...

( Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform) The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands ( gd, Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Cùisean Dùthchail, Ath-leasachadh an Fhearainn agus nan Eilean), commonly referred to as the Rural Affairs Secretary ( gd, Rùnaire nan Cùisean Dùthchail), is a position in the Scottish Government

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

. The Cabinet Secretary is responsible for rural Scotland and its islands, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, food and drink, and crofting. The Cabinet Secretary is assisted by the Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform, Màiri McAllan. The current Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands is

, who was appointed in May 2021.

History

The position was created in 1999 as the Minister for Rural Affairs and renamed as the Minister for Rural Development in 2000 and again in 2001 as the Minister for the Environment and Rural Development. Following the 2007 election, the position of Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment was created, becoming the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment in a November 2014 reshuffle. Following the 2016 election, the position was the "Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity", but was again renamed to "Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy", with "connectivity" and Transport passing to the

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport is a position in the Scottish Government Cabinet. The Cabinet Secretary has responsibilities for infrastructure, transport and energy. The Cabinet Secretary is assisted by the Minister for ...

. In the third Sturgeon government, the role was re-styled to Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands. In the first Yusaf government, the role was re-styled to Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands.

Overview

Responsibilities

The Cabinet Secretary's responsibilities are agriculture and crofting, fisheries and aquaculture, food and drink, rural Scotland,

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

, animal health and welfare, and cross-government co-ordination on islands.

Public bodies

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

Crofting Commission The Crofting Commission ( gd, Coimisean na Croitearachd) took the place of the Crofters Commission ( gd, Coimisean nan Croitearan) on 1 April 2012 as the statutory regulator for crofting in Scotland. Based in Inverness, it is an executive non-d ...

Food Standards Scotland Food Standards Scotland ( gd, Inbhe-Bidhe Alba) is a non-ministerial government department of the Scottish Government. It is responsible for food safety, Standards organization, food standards, nutrition, United Kingdom food labelling regulations, ...

* Highlands and Islands Enterprise * James Hutton Institute * Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland * Moredun Research Institute *

Quality Meat Scotland Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. It promotes the red meat sector and markets the Protected Geographical Indication Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb brands. It was set up in 1990 (or ...

Scottish Agricultural Wages Board The Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. It sets minimum pay rates and other conditions for agricultural workers, as set out in the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Ord ...

List of office holders

References

{{Scottish Cabinet

Rural Economy Rural economics is the study of rural economies. Rural economies include both agricultural and non-agricultural industries, so rural economics has broader concerns than agricultural economics which focus more on food systems. Rural developmen ...