Website www.scotland.gov.uk | ||
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Appointer First Minister of Scotland | ||
The Minister for Parliamentary Business is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government whose job it is to steer government business through the Scottish Parliament. It is currently held by Joe FitzPatrick of the Scottish National Party.
History of the office
The post was originally created in May 1999 as Chief Whip and Government Business Manager as a cabinet position in the Labour Liberal Scottish Executive along with the junior Deputy Business Manager, both positions where renamed after a few weeks to the Minister for Parliament and Deputy Minister for Parliament respectively. The posts where renamed again in November 2001 to Minister for Parliamentary Business and Deputy Minister for Parliamentary Business following the election of Jack McConnell as First Minister. The a cabinet post was downgrade to that of a junior minister reporting to the First Minister following the election of an SNP minority government in May 2007. The post remained a junior one until the May 2011 general election after which a new cabinet post of Cabinet Secretary for Parliamentary Business and Government Strategy was established with the Minister for Parliamentary Business and Chief Whip reporting to it, this set up remained in place until a government reshuffle in September 2012 saw the cabinet post abolished with responsibility of Government Strategy being given to the Deputy First Minister. and the post of Minister for Parliamentary Business being re-established reporting to both First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
This changed in the reshuffle announced on 21 November 2014; Joe FitzPatrick now reports directly to Deputy First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney.