Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands
Mairi Gougeon was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands in March 2023.
Responsibilities
The Cabinet Secretary is responsible for:
- cross government co-ordination on islands
- Rural and Islands Youth Parliament
- Rural and Islands Parliament (jointly with the Deputy First Minister)
- Rural Delivery Plan (jointly with the Deputy First Minister)
- land reform and land use
- agriculture reform and Agriculture and Rural Communities Bill
- fisheries
- aquaculture
- marine operations, science and compliance
- forestry and woodlands, including Forestry and Land Scotland and Scottish Forestry
- food and drink
- Scottish Land Commission
- Crown Estate Scotland
- Royal Botanic Garden
Supporting Ministers
Priorities
The First Minister has issued mandate letters to all Cabinet Secretaries highlighting how they will collectively deliver on the priorities set out in the Policy Prospectus during the financial year 2023 to 2024.
Biography
Mairi was elected as MSP for Angus North and Mearns in May 2016.
Mairi joined the government in 2018 and became Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs in 2021. Previous roles have included Minister for Public Health and Sport, and Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment.
Before joining the government, Mairi was a councillor for Brechin and Edzell. She was convenor of the infrastructure services committee and chaired the East of Scotland European Consortium. Mairi represented COSLA at the Council of European Municipalities and Regions.
She is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen.
- Read more about Mairi Gougeon on the Scottish Parliament website.
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