Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice

This article is about the Scottish position. For the Welsh position, see Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Wales). Not to be confused with Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs.

The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Ceartas Sòisealta), commonly referred to as the Social Justice Secretary, is a position in the Scottish Government Cabinet. The Cabinet Secretary has overall responsibility for community planning, housing, social security, the third sector. The current Cabinet Secretary is Shirley-Anne Somerville since 2023.

Scotland Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice
Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Ceartas Sòisealta
Incumbent Shirley-Anne Somerville since 29 March 2023
Social Security Scotland Scottish Government Scottish Cabinet
Style	Cabinet Secretary (within parliament) Social Justice Secretary (informal) Scottish Social Justice Secretary (outwith Scotland)
Member of	Scottish Parliament Scottish Cabinet
Reports to	Scottish Parliament
Seat	Edinburgh
Appointer	First Minister
Inaugural holder	Shona Robison Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners' Rights
Formation	22 April 2014
Deputy	Minister for Equalities Minister for Housing
Salary	£118,511 per annum (2023)[1] (including £67,662 MSP salary)
Website	www.gov.scot

The Cabinet Secretary is assisted by two junior Ministers, the Minister for Equalities and the Minister for Housing.^[2]

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^[3] but as a junior ministerial position, the Minister did not attend the Scottish Cabinet.^[4]

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, being held by Angela Constance.

Between 2018 and 2021 the role was divided between Shirley-Anne Somerville as Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People, and Aileen Campbell as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government.^[5]

Following the appointment for the third Sturgeon government, the role was re-merged with Shona Robison appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government.^[6]

Shirley-Anne Somerville was re-appointed to the role, as Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, at the start of the first Yousaf government and retained her position in the second Yousaf government and the Swinney government.

Overview

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice are:^[2]

• Baby Box
• benefit automation and advice services
• human rights
• minimum income guarantee
• Ministerial Taskforce on Population
• national mission for tackling child poverty
• Office of Chief Social Policy Advisor
• Scottish Government benefits (development and delivery)
• Scottish Welfare Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs)
• social justice, tackling poverty and inequalities
• Social Security Scotland
• third sector, social enterprises and Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)
• UN treaty incorporation including United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

Public bodies

The following public bodies report to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government:

• Boundaries Scotland
• Scottish Housing Regulator
• Social Security Scotland

List of office holders

Name					Portrait		Entered office		Left office		Party		First Minister
Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners' Rights
		Shona Robison					22 April 2014		21 November 2014		Scottish National Party		Alex Salmond
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights
		Alex Neil					21 November 2014		18 May 2016		Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon
Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities
		Angela Constance					18 May 2016		26 June 2018		Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon
Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People								Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government
Name			Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Party	First Minister	Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Party	First Minister
		Shirley-Anne Somerville		26 June 2018	20 May 2021	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon		Aileen Campbell		26 June 2018	20 May 2021	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
Name					Portrait		Entered office		Left office		Party		First Minister
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government
		Shona Robison					20 May 2021		28 March 2023		Scottish National Party		Nicola Sturgeon
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice
		Shirley-Anne Somerville					29 March 2023		Incumbent		Scottish National Party		Humza Yousaf
													John Swinney