Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities

Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities

Incumbent Angela Constance MSP since 18 May 2016
Appointer	First Minister
Website	www.gov.scot

The Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities is a position in the Scottish Government Cabinet. The Cabinet Secretary has overall responsibility for elections, local government, community planning, housing, welfare, the third sector, equality and human rights. The Cabinet Secretary is assisted by two junior Ministers: the Minister for Social Security and the Minister for Local Government and Housing.

The current Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities is Angela Constance, who was appointed in May 2016.

Overview

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities include:

Welfare policy, Community empowerment, Devolution to Communities and Reform of Local Government, Equalities, Religious and faith organisations, Protection and development of Social and Human Rights, Third sector and social economy, Democratic renewal, Local government, Housing, Homelessness, Community planning, Planning, Business improvement districts, Town centres, Building standards, Social security, Implementation of new powers, Measures against poverty, Disabilities, Older people.

History

From 2007 to 2009 the Minister for Communities and Sport was a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. In 2009, sport was linked with public health and the role became the Minister for Housing and Communities.

Following the 2011 election, the role was reorganised as Minister for Housing and Welfare^[1] but as a junior ministerial position, the Minister did not attend the Scottish Cabinet.^[2]

A cabinet post was created in April 2014 as a result of Alex Salmond's gender-balancing cabinet reshuffle. The post was Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners' Rights with Shona Robison at the helm. This was short-lived, however, as the job was further restyled as Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights as a result of Nicola Sturgeon's first reshuffle after she became First Minister in November 2014, with Alex Neil being given the role.

This was further rebranded in May 2016 as Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities in the second Sturgeon government.

List of office holders

	Entered office	Left office	Party

Shona Robison	22 April 2014	21 November 2014	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon

Alex Neil	21 November 2014	18 May 2016	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon

Angela Constance	18 May 2016	incumbent	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon

References

↑ "Scottish Parliament Fact sheet Ministers, Law Officers and Parliamentary Liaison Officers by Cabinet: Session 4" (PDF). Scottish Parliament. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
↑ 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".

External links

Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities on the Scottish Government website

Scottish Cabinet

Nicola Sturgeon (First Minister)
John Swinney (Deputy First Minister and Education and Skills)
Derek Mackay (Finance and the Constitution)
Keith Brown (Economy, Jobs and Fair Work)
Roseanna Cunningham (Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform)
Shona Robison (Health and Sport)
Angela Constance (Communities, Social Security and Equalities)
Michael Matheson (Justice)
Fergus Ewing (Rural Economy and Connectivity)
Fiona Hyslop (Culture, Tourism and External Affairs)

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