Responsibilities for specific Ministerial positions: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
Information requested
1. A copy of the responsibilities of each of the following ministerial positions as at 16th December 2019.
- The First Minister
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport
- Minister for Public Health and Sport
2. If not included in the descriptions above, a copy of the responsibilities of whichever minister(s) or cabinet secretary(s) had specific responsibility for the following matters. “Tackling and reducing the harm of drug misuse, supporting the rehabilitation and recovery of those living with drug addiction, and reducing the unacceptable number of deaths from drugs.”
Response
1. The information you have requested in relation to the First Minister is available from the Scottish Government website: First Minister - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you.
The information in relation to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport and the Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing (which was the Ministerial title at the time covered by your request) is included as an attachment to this response.
2. As you will see from the attachment, the Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing was responsible for 'problem alcohol use and recovery, and drugs policy', covering the matters about which you asked. He reported to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, who had overall responsibility for the portfolio.
As you may be aware, following the resignation of the then Minister, Joe FitzPatrick, in December 2020, Angela Constance was appointed as the new Minister for Drugs Policy, reporting directly to the First Minister. Information is available on the Scottish Government website: https://www.gov.scot/about/who-runs-government/cabinet-and-ministers/minister-for-drugs-policy/.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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