Ministry of Social Affairs (Spain)

The Ministry of Social Affairs (MAS), since 2023 known as Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda, is a department of the Government of Spain responsible for the government policies on social services, family, minors protection, disability and prevention of youth crime, adoptions and foster care and the promotion of cultural communication and youth association. Likewise, the department is responsible for the government policies on animal welfare and UN Sustainable Development Goals.^[2]

Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda

Ministerio de Derechos Sociales, Consumo y Agenda 2030
Headquarters of the Ministry
Agency overview
Formed	12 July 1988 (as "Ministry of Social Affairs") 21 November 2023 (as "Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda")
Preceding agencies	Ministry of Labour and Social Security (before 1988) (social services and migration) Ministry of Culture (before 1988) (youth and women) Ministry of Justice (before 1988) (minors protection) Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare (before 2020) (social servicies) Ministry of Consumer Affairs (before 2023)
Superseding agency	Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (after 1996)
Type	Ministry
Jurisdiction	Government of Spain
Annual budget	€ 1.8 billion, 2023[1]
Minister responsible	Pablo Bustinduy

Department's logo from 1988 to 1996.

The current minister is Pablo Bustinduy, who was appointed on 21 November 2023.

History

The department was created in 1988 during the premiership of Felipe González and assumed powers from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the National Institute for Social Services, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Justice.^[3] In 1996, the new prime minister José María Aznar abolished the department and transferred its competences to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.^[4]

During its first period of life, the department assumed powers relating to social services, equality, minors protection and prevention of youth crime, adoptions and foster care and the promotion of cultural communication and youth association. Likewise, the department was responsible for the management of the social programs derived from funds obtained through the personal income tax and in its later years from the government migration policy.^[3][4]

The department was re-established in January 2020 by prime minister Pedro Sánchez.

Organization chart

Current structure

The current structure is:^[5]

• The Secretariat of State for Social Rights and 2030 Agenda.
  • The Directorate-General for Disability Support Policies.
  • The Directorate-General for Family Diversity and Social Services.
  • The Directorate-General for Animal Rights.
• The General Secretariat for Consumer Affairs and Gambling.
  • The Directorate-General for Consumer Affairs.
    • The Deputy Directorate-General for Coordination, Quality and Consumer Cooperation.
    • The Deputy Directorate-General for Arbitration and Consumer Rights.
  • The Directorate-General for the Regulation of Gambling.
    • The Deputy Directorate-General for the Regulation of Gambling.
    • The Deputy Directorate-General for Gambling Inspection.
• The Undersecretariat of Social Rights and 2030 Agenda.
  • The Technical General Secretariat.
• The Directorate-General for 2030 Agenda.

Ministry agencies

• Royal Board on Disability
• The Institute for the Elderly and Social Services
• The Institute of Youth
• The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition.
• The Research and Quality Control Center.
• The Advisory Council for Responsible Gaming
• The National Commission to fight the manipulation of sports competitions and betting fraud.

1988 structure

The original structure, created in 1988, was:^[6]

• Undersecretariat of Social Affairs.
• Technical Directorate-General and for Services.
• Directorate-General for Social Action.
• Directorate-General for Legal Protection of Minors.

In addition, the government agencies Institute of Women, Institute of Youth and the National Institute for Social Services were attached to the department.

In 1993, the ministry assumed powers over emigrants and immigrants through the Directorate-General for Migrations^[7] and, in 1994, the Directorate-General for Legal Protection of Minors was renamed Directorate-General for Minors and Family.^[8]

List of officeholders

Office name:

• Ministry of Social Affairs (1988–1996)
• Ministry of Social Rights and 2030 Agenda (2020–2023)
• Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda (2023–present)

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Party		Government	Prime Minister (Tenure)		Ref.
		Took office	Left office	Duration
	Matilde Fernández (born 1950)	23 July 1988	7 December 1989	4 years and 356 days		PSOE	González II		Felipe González (1982–1996)	[9] [10] [11]
		7 December 1989	14 July 1993				González III
	Cristina Alberdi (1946–2024)	14 July 1993	6 May 1996	2 years and 297 days		PSOE	González IV			[12] [13]
Office disestablished during this interval.[a]
	Pablo Iglesias (born 1978)	13 January 2020	31 March 2021	1 year and 77 days		Podemos	Sánchez II		Pedro Sánchez (2018–present)	[14] [15]
	Ione Belarra (born 1987)	31 March 2021	21 November 2023	2 years and 235 days		Podemos				[16] [17]
	Pablo Bustinduy (born 1983)	21 November 2023	Incumbent	1 year and 113 days		Independent	Sánchez III			[18]

Notes

1. The department's competences were transferred to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs between 1996 and 2008, to the Ministry of Education, Social Policy and Sports between 2008 and 2009, to the Ministry of Health and Social Policy between 2009 and 2010, to the Ministry of Health, Social Policy and Equality between 2010 and 2011, to the Minister of Health, Social Services and Equality between 2011 and 2018 and to the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare between 2018 and 2020.