Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment

The Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment is a Junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet.[1] The post was created in June 2018: the Minister supports the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, both of whom are full members of the cabinet.[2]

The Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment has specific responsibility for:[2]

• Animal health & welfare
• Marine planning
• National Parks and natural heritage
• Physical and marine environment
• Sustainable development
• Plant Health (including forestry disease issues)
• Genetic Modification issues
• Climate Change implications related to Agriculture

List of office holders

The current Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment is Ben Macpherson.[2]

Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment
Name		Portrait	Entered Office	Left Office	Party	First Minister
	Mairi Gougeon		27 June 2018	21 December 2020	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
	Ben Macpherson		21 December 2020	Incumbent	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon

See also

• Scottish Parliament

References

1. 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".
2. "Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment". Scottish Government. December 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.

External links

• Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment on Scottish Government website