Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic

Responsibilities

The Deputy First Minister is responsible for:

• inter-governmental relations
• Responsibility for cross-government delivery & outcomes
• National Performance Framework
• Historical Abuse Inquiry
• Redress
• Covid Inquiries
• Sheku Bayoh public inquiry

• Languages, including Gaelic, Scots and BSL

• economic policy and prosperity

• green industrial strategy (jointly with Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy)

• support for business, industry and manufacturing

• long-term labour market strategy

• enterprise agencies

• Scottish National Investment Bank

• Office of the Chief Economic Adviser

• entrepreneurship

• engagement with UK government on shared prosperity fund, levelling up fund, ESIF

Infrastructure investment

• regional economic partnerships
• Clyde Mission
• city and regional growth deals
• government investments (Prestwick, Fergusons, BiFab)

Supporting Ministers

• Minister for Business
• Minister for Employment and Investment

 

Biography

Kate Forbes is the Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency (which includes Dingwall, the Black Isle and the Great Glen). She is the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary (designate) for the Economy and Gaelic in the Scottish Government.

Kate is from Dingwall, although she spent part of her upbringing in Glasgow and India. Until she was elected as MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Kate was employed as an accountant in the banking industry. Prior to that she studied History at the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh.

First elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016, she was re-elected as the constituency MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch in May 2021.

Kate first joined the Government in June 2018, as Minister for Public Finance and Digital Economy. She subsequently served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy from February 2020 to March 2023.

• Read more about Kate Forbes on the Scottish Parliament website.