Minister for Culture and External Affairs

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs
Incumbent Fiona Hyslop MSP since 19 May 2011
Appointer	First Minister
Website	www.gov.scot

The Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, commonly referred to as the Culture Secretary, is a Scottish Government Cabinet position with responsibility for Culture, the arts, relations between the Scottish Government and the European Union and other international affairs. The Cabinet Secretary is assisted by the Minister for International Development and Europe.

The current Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs is Fiona Hyslop, who was appointed in 2009.

The Europe and External Affairs brief was instituted in 2000 and combined with Education as the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs which was a Cabinet position in the McLeish Government. After 2001 the Europe and External Affairs Brief was abolished as a ministerial position. From 1999 to 2001, the Culture brief was a junior post in the Scottish Government as Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport. It was made into a Cabinet position as Minister for Culture and Sport in the First McConnell government from 2001–2003. The Second McConnell government from 2003–2007 combined the Culture and Sport brief with Tourism to form a Cabinet post in the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport. Culture was combined with External Affairs and Europe, to form a junior ministerial position, of Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture in the Salmond government following the Scottish Parliament election, 2007. In February 2009 the role was expanded to deal with constitutional issues this additional role was later removed in December 2009 following the publication of the National Conversation. After the Scottish Parliament election, 2011 the office-holder returned to the Cabinet with the junior ministerial post being transformed into the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs. After the Scottish Parliament election, 2016, the post was retitled Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs.