Scottish Government junior ministerial roles announced

Nicola Sturgeon has now appointed the junior ministers in the Scottish Government, following her selection of her cabinet earlier.

There will be 15 ministers in addition to the solicitor general and lord advocate, one more than at the end of the last parliament, and 10 members of the cabinet, two fewer than before.

New to ministerial posts are George Adam, who becomes minister for parliamentary business; Tom Arthur, who becomes minister for public finance, planning and community wealth; and Màiri McAllan, who will be minister for environment, biodiversity and land reform.

McAllan, who was previously a special adviser to the First Minister on the environment, climate change and land reform, is the only new MSP from the 2021 intake to be given a ministerial position.

Other ministers from the previous government continue but in different ministerial roles.

Richard Lochhead moves from further education, higher education and science to just transition, employment and fair work.

Jamie Hepburn picks up Lochhead’s former role, combined with part of his own previous position as minister for business, fair work and skills, becoming minister for higher education and further education, youth employment and training.

Maree Todd swaps children and young people for public health, women’s health and sport, while Clare Haughey switches from mental health to children and young people, and former housing minister Kevin Stewart becomes minister for mental wellbeing and social care.

Graeme Dey has been moved from his previous role of minister for parliamentary business and veterans to minister for transport, while Ben Macpherson changes from rural affairs and the natural environment to social security and local government.

Angela Constance, Ivan McKee, Ash Denham, Christina McKelvie and Jenny Gilruth retain similar ministerial positions to those they had before.

Constance has been reappointed as minister for drugs policy, reporting directly to Nicola Sturgeon, Denham as minister for committee safety and McKelvie minister for equalities and older people.

Gilruth is the minister for culture, Europe and international development, adding culture to her previous responsibilities for Europe and international development.

Ivan McKee's responsibilities have likewise changed a little, from trade, innovation and public finance to business, trade, tourism and enterprise.