Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands

Mairi Gougeon MSP

Contact

Address

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

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, including island connectivity
  • Rural and Islands Youth Parliament
  • Rural Delivery Plan (jointly with the Deputy First Minister)
  • Rural and Islands Parliament (jointly with the Deputy First Minister)
  • land reform and land use
  • agriculture
  • fisheries
  • aquaculture
  • marine operations, science and compliance
  • forestry and woodlands, including Forestry and Land Scotland and Scottish Forestry
  • food and drink supply chain
  • Scottish Food Agency
  • 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. 

 

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