Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment

Scotland
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The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment is a position in the Scottish Government Cabinet. The Cabinet Secretary is responsible for the environment, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, as well as land reform and sustainable development. The Cabinet Secretary is assisted by the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform.

The current Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment is Richard Lochhead, who was appointed in May 2007.

History

The position was created in 1999 as the Minister for Rural Affairs it was renamed as the Minister for Rural Development in 2000 and again in 2001 as the Minister for the Environment and Rural Development, the current position of Cabinet Secretary was created following the 2007 election.

Overview

Responsibilities

• Rural Scotland
• land reform
• the environment
• agriculture
• forestry
• fisheries
• aquaculture
• food and drink
• crofting
• sustainable development
• biodiversity
• natural heritage
• environmental protection
• flooding
• water quality
• national parks
• environmental justice and climate justice

Public bodies

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

• Cairngorms National Park Authority
• Crofting Commission
• Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority
• Quality Meat Scotland
• Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
• Scottish Agricultural Wages Board
• Scottish Canals
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• Scottish Natural Heritage

List of office holders

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Party	First Minister
	Ross Finnie		19 May 1999	26 October 2000	Liberal Democrats		Donald Dewar
	Ross Finnie		26 October 2000	22 November 2001	Liberal Democrats		Henry McLeish
	Ross Finnie		22 November 2001	16 May 2007	Liberal Democrats		Jack McConnell
	Richard Lochhead		16 May 2007	21 November 2014	Scottish National Party		Alex Salmond
	Richard Lochhead		21 November 2014	Incumbent	Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon

See also

• List of Scottish ministers of the environment