Economy Directorates

The Scottish Government Economy Directorates are a group of civil service Directorates in the Scottish Government. They were rebranded as the Economy Directorates in July 2016, having previously been reorganised in December 2010 and then in June 2014.[1]

The individual Directorates within the DG (Director-General) Economy family (the Economy Directorates) report to the Director-General, Liz Ditchburn.[2]

Ministers

There is no direct relationship between Ministers and the Directorates. However, the activities of the Directorates include those under the purview of the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Roseanna Cunningham MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy, Fergus Ewing MSP and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work, Derek Mackay MSP. They are supported in their work by the Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, the Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation and the Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills.

Directorates

The Directorates were previously the Enterprise, Environment and Innovation Directorates, reorganised in July 2016.

The overarching Scottish Government Directorates were preceded by similar structures called "Departments" that no longer exist (although the word is still sometimes erroneously used in this context).[3] As an overarching unit, the Economy Directorates incorporate a number of individual Directorates entitled:

• Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
• Chief Economist Directorate
• Culture, Tourism and Major Events Directorate
• Economic Development Directorate
• Energy and Climate Change Directorate
• Environment and Forestry Directorate
• Fair Work, Employability and Skills Directorate
• International Trade and Investment Directorate
• Marine Scotland Directorate
• Scottish National Investment Bank Directorate

Agencies and other bodies

The Directorates are responsible for two agencies:

• Forestry and Land Scotland
• Scottish Forestry

The Directorates also sponsor several non-departmental public bodies including:

• Cairngorms National Park Authority
• Crofters Commission
• Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority
• James Hutton Institute
• Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• Scottish Natural Heritage

History

Prior to the creation of the Enterprise, Environment and Innovation Directorates in June 2014, the group was known as the Enterprise, Environment and Digital Directorates from December 2010. Prior to 2007, the work had been carried out by the old Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD).

See also

• Elin Jones Minister for Rural Affairs in Wales

References

1. "Paul Gray, Director-General Rural Affairs, Environment and Services". Scottish Government. Retrieved 7 May 2011. This notice refers to the transfer of the DG of the Scottish Government Environment Directorates in December 2010, and thus indirectly to this re-organisation.
2. "Director General Economy". Scottish Government. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
3. "Reporting on 100 Days: Moving Scotland forward" Scottish Government. Retrieved 15 August 2009. "A new structure for Scotland's Government has been put in place, transforming the Departmental structure, moving from nine Heads of Department to a Strategic Board with the Permanent Secretary and six Directors-General (DGs), with each DG having responsibility for driving one of the Government's strategic objectives. Directors-General focus on the performance of the whole organisation against the Government's purpose. The new structure means that the old Scottish Executive Departments no longer exist. Instead, each DG supports and manages a number of Directorates headed by a Director with these Directorates leading, presenting and developing policy for Ministers."

External links

• Forestry Commission Scotland
• Scottish Government Senior Management Structure from 2007-2010 (pdf)