From 1999 to 2000 Communities was the responsibility of the
Minister for Communities and from 2000 to 2003 was the responsibility of the
Minister for Social Justice, both of which were Cabinet positions. The
Minister for Communities was reinstated after the
2003 Scottish Parliament election. The Sport portfolio was the responsibility of
Deputy Minister for Communities and Sport from 2000 to 2001 in the
Dewar Government (which was not a cabinet position). From 2000 to 2001 the
Minister for the Environment, Sport and Culture was the Cabinet Minister with whose responsibilities included sport. From 2001 to 2003 these roles were combined in the
Minister for Communities and Sport, which was renamed the
Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport after the addition of the tourism portfolio, following the 2003 election. The
Salmond government, elected following the
2007 Scottish Parliament election created the junior post of
Minister for Communities and Sport, combining the Sport and Communities portfolios. The minister assisted the
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing. In September 2012 the junior post of
Minister for Housing and Welfare was announced, with a portfolio intended to reflect the important role of housing in aiding economic recovery and the challenges that face those in poverty. On 18 May 2016 the post of Minister for Social Security was created and the Housing and Welfare brief was split between that post and
Minister for Local Government and Housing. After the election of
Humza Yousaf as First Minister, the Housing brief was again split from other portfolios and was again an area in its own right and
Paul McLennan was appointed to the position. In June 2025,
John Swinney reshuffled the government upon the return of
Màiri McAllan from maternity leave. He appointed her as
Cabinet Secretary for Housing and abolished the junior ministerial role. ==Overview==