Minister for Children and Early Years

The Minister for Childcare and Early Years is a Junior ministerial post in 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 Skills, who has overall responsibility for the portfolio, and is a member of Cabinet. The Minister for Children and Young people has specific responsibility for the social services workforce, childcare and preschool, children's services, children's hearings and the Care Inspectorate.

The post holder is responsible for:

From 1999 to 2000, responsibility for Children and Early Years 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 portfolio rested with the Minister for Education and Young People. The Salmond government, elected following the Scottish Parliament election, 2007 created the junior post of the Minister for Children and Early Years to assist the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.

The current Minister for Childcare and Early Years is Mark McDonald.

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