Minister for Schools and Skills

The Minister for Schools and Skills is a Junior ministerial post in the Education Department of the Scottish Government. As a result, the minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet. The post was created in May 2007 after the appointment of the Scottish National Party minority administration and the minister reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, who has overall responsibility for the portfolio, and is a member of cabinet. The Minister for Schools and Skills has specific responsibility for school education, training and skills, HM Inspectorate of Education and the Scottish Qualifications Authority.cite web |url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Scottish-Cabinet |title=Scottish Executive - Scottish Cabinet and Ministers |publisher=Scottish Executive |accessdate=2007-07-25]

Minister

The current Minister for Schools and Skills is Maureen Watt MSP.cite web |url=http://politics.guardian.co.uk/scotland/story/0,,2081920,00.html |title=Salmond sworn in as First Minister |date=2007-05-17 |publisher=The Guardian |accessdate=2007-07-25]

History

From 1999 to 2000 responsibility for Schools rested with the Minister for Children and Education, which became the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs in the McLeish Government of 2000 to 2001. From 2001 to 2007 the Schools portfolio rested with the Minister for Education and Young People. The Skills brief also rested with the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning between 1999 and 2007. The Salmond government, elected following the the Scottish Parliament election, 2007 created the junior post of the Minister for Schools and Skills who assists the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, in the Scottish Executive Education Department.

References

ee also

*Scottish Parliament
*Question Time
*Scottish Government

External links

* [http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Scottish-Cabinet Scottish Ministers - the Scottish Cabinet]
* [http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Scottish-Cabinet/maureenwatt Minister for Schools and Skills - Scottish Government]