Shirley-Anne Somerville was named as the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice following Shona Robison’s promotion to Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance. Paul McLennan will be Minister for Housing.
Ivan McKee, Minister for Tourism, has left the Scottish Government.
We await clarity on the precise responsibilities of each ministerial role. Ministerial appointments will be approved by the Scottish Parliament later today.
Responding to the news, Fiona Campbell, CEO of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, said:
“The ASSC welcomes the new Ministers, including Shirley-Anne Somerville and Paul McLennan, to their roles in the Scottish Government. We look forward to engaging with them on matters of importance to Scotland’s £867m self-catering industry and ensuring that an evidence-led approach is taken towards regulation.
We pay tribute to Ivan McKee for his contribution in government and the importance he stressed on resetting business-government relations. We recently held a constructive meeting with him setting out the concerns of our members regarding the onerous short-term let licensing scheme.
However, given the immense challenges facing the tourism sector at the present time – from the impact of the cost-of-living crisis to pandemic recovery – the lack of a dedicated Tourism Minister is highly perplexing. An industry employing so many people in Scotland that generates billions for the economy should be a priority, not an oversight.”