Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids United KingdomParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland |
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Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government in Scotland
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 Kirsty McNeill since 9 July 2024 |
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| Scotland Office | |
| Appointer | The Monarch (on the advice of the Prime Minister) |
| Inaugural holder | John Pratt |
| Formation | 8 August 1919 |
| Website | Scotland Office |
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland is an important job in the Government of the United Kingdom. This person helps the Secretary of State for Scotland with their work. Think of them as a helpful assistant minister. This role is also sometimes called the Deputy Secretary of State for Scotland.
Contents
What is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland?
This person is a junior minister in the UK government. Their main job is to support the Secretary of State for Scotland. They help manage things that affect Scotland, even though Scotland has its own government.
How the Role Has Changed Over Time
The job of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland has a long history. It started way back in 1919.
Early Days: Health for Scotland (1919-1926)
When the role was first created, it was called the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health for Scotland. This shows that health was a big focus at the time.
Becoming the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (1926-Present)
In 1926, the job title changed to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland. Over the years, more people were added to help with this work.
- In 1940 and 1951, extra Under-Secretary jobs were created.
- A new role, called Minister of State, was also added in 1951.
- Sometimes, the number of ministers changed. For example, between 1974 and 1979, there were two Ministers of State and three Under-Secretaries.
Changes After Devolution (1999)
A big change happened in 1999 when devolution took place. This meant that Scotland got its own Scottish Parliament and government. After this, the number of UK ministers for Scotland was reduced. Today, there is usually one Under-Secretary who helps the Secretary of State. There is no longer a separate Minister of State for Scotland.
People Who Have Held This Job
Many different politicians have held the role of Under-Secretary for Scotland. Here are some of the people who have served in this important position.
Under-Secretary for Health for Scotland (1919–1926)
| Name | Portrait | Party | Started Job | Prime Minister |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Pratt | Liberal Party | 8 August 1919 | David Lloyd George | |
| James Kidd | Unionist Party | 31 October 1922 | Bonar Law | |
| Walter Elliot | Unionist Party | 15 January 1923 | Stanley Baldwin | |
| James Stewart | Labour Party | 23 January 1924 | Ramsay MacDonald | |
| Walter Elliot | Unionist Party | 11 November 1924 | Stanley Baldwin |
Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (1926–Present)
| Name | Portrait | Party | Started Job | Ended Job | Prime Minister |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Elliott | Unionist Party | 26 July 1926 | 7 June 1929 | ||
| Thomas Johnston | Labour Party | 7 June 1929 | 25 March 1931 | ||
| Joseph Westwood | 25 March 1931 | August 1931 | |||
| Noel Skelton | Unionist Party | 3 September 1931 | 22 November 1935
(Died in office) |
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| John Colville | 28 November 1935 | 29 October 1936 | |||
| Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn | 29 October 1936 | 6 September 1939 | |||
| Captain Sir John McEwen | 6 September 1939 | 17 May 1940 | |||
| Joseph Westwood | Labour Party | 17 May 1940 | 23 May 1945 | ||
| Captain Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn | Unionist Party | 8 February 1941 | 4 March 1942 | ||
| Allan Chapman | 4 March 1942 | 26 July 1945 | |||
| Thomas Galbraith | 26 May 1945 | ||||
| George Buchanan | Labour Party | 4 August 1945 | 7 October 1947 | ||
| Tom Fraser | 26 October 1951 | ||||
| John Robertson | 7 October 1947 | ||||
| Margaret Herbison | 2 March 1950 | ||||
| Thomas Galbraith | Unionist Party | 2 November 1951 | 5 April 1955 | ||
| Sir William McNair Snadden | 3 June 1955 | ||||
| Sir James Henderson Stewart | Liberal National | 4 February 1952 | 9 January 1957 | Harold Macmillan | |
| Jack Nixon Browne | Scottish Conservative Party | 7 April 1955 | 9 January 1957 | ||
| Niall Macpherson | Liberal National | 13 June 1955 | 9 January 1957 | ||
| Jack Nixon Browne | Conservative Party | 18 January 1957 | 22 October 1959 | ||
| Major Lord John Hope | Unionist Party | ||||
| Niall Macpherson | Liberal National | 19 January 1957 | 28 October 1960 | ||
| Thomas Galbraith 1st Baron Strathclyde |
Unionist Party | 22 October 1959 | 8 November 1962 | ||
| Gilmour Leburn | Conservative Party | 15 August 1963 | |||
| Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Brooman-White | 28 October 1960 | 12 December 1963 | |||
| The Lady Tweedsmuir | Unionist Party | 3 December 1962 | 16 October 1964 | ||
| Anthony Stodart | Conservative Party | 19 August 1963 | Sir Alec Douglas-Home | ||
| Gordon Campbell | 12 December 1963 | ||||
| Dickson Mabon | Labour and Co-operative Party | 20 October 1964 | 7 January 1967 | Harold Wilson | |
| William Hughes Baron Hughes |
Labour Party | 21 October 1964 | 13 October 1969 | ||
| Bruce Millan | 6 April 1966 | 19 June 1970 | |||
| Norman Buchan | 7 January 1967 | ||||
| Alick Buchanan-Smith | Conservative Party | 24 June 1970 | 4 March 1974 | Edward Heath | |
| George Younger | 8 January 1974 | ||||
| Sir Teddy Taylor | 28 July 1971 | ||||
| Hector Monro | 28 July 1971 | 4 March 1974 | |||
| Sir Teddy Taylor | 8 January 1974 | ||||
| Robert Hughes | Labour Party | 11 March 1974 | 22 July 1975 | Harold Wilson | |
| Hugh Brown | 28 June 1974 | 4 May 1979 | |||
| Harry Ewing | 18 October 1974 | ||||
| Frank McElhone | 12 September 1975 | ||||
| James Callaghan | |||||
| Alex Fletcher | Conservative Party | 7 May 1979 | 14 June 1983 | Margaret Thatcher | |
| Russell Fairgrieve | 15 September 1981 | ||||
| Sir Malcolm Rifkind | 6 April 1982 | ||||
| Allan Stewart | 15 September 1981 | 10 September 1986 | |||
| John MacKay | 6 April 1982 | 14 June 1987 | |||
| Michael Ancram | 13 June 1983 | 14 June 1987 | |||
| Ian Lang | 10 September 1986 | 13 June 1987 | |||
| James Douglas-Hamilton | 13 June 1987 | 6 July 1995 | |||
| Michael Forsyth | 7 September 1990 | 7 September 1990 | |||
| Thomas Galbraith 2nd Baron Strathclyde |
7 September 1990 | 14 April 1992 | |||
| Allan Stewart | 28 November 1990 | 8 February 1995 | John Major | ||
| Hector Monro | 14 April 1992 | 6 July 1995 | |||
| George Kynoch | 8 February 1995 | 2 May 1997 | |||
| James Lindsay-Bethune 16th Earl of Lindsay |
6 July 1995 | 2 May 1997 | |||
| Raymond Robertson | |||||
| Sam Galbraith | Labour Party | 6 May 1997 | 29 July 1999 | Tony Blair | |
| John Sewel Baron Sewel |
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| Malcolm Chisholm | 10 December 1997 | ||||
| Calum MacDonald | 11 December 1997 | 29 July 1999 | |||
| Gus Macdonald Baron Macdonald of Tradeston |
3 August 1998 | ||||
| Vacant | 29 July 1999 | 29 May 2002 | |||
| Anne McGuire | Labour Party | 29 May 2002 | 11 May 2005 | ||
| David Cairns | 11 May 2005 | 28 June 2007 | |||
| Ann McKechin | 16 September 2008 | 11 May 2010 | Gordon Brown | ||
| David Mundell | Conservative Party | 14 May 2010 | 11 May 2015 | David Cameron | |
| Andrew Dunlop Baron Dunlop |
14 May 2015 | 10 June 2017 | |||
| Ian Duncan Baron Duncan of Springbank |
15 June 2017 | 27 July 2019 | Theresa May | ||
| Robin Walker | 27 July 2019 | 16 December 2019 | Boris Johnson | ||
| Colin Clark | |||||
| Douglas Ross | 16 December 2019 | 26 May 2020 | |||
| David Duguid | 2 June 2020 | 16 September 2021 | |||
| Iain Stewart | 8 September 2022 | ||||
| David Duguid | 20 September 2022 | 27 October 2022 | Liz Truss | ||
| Malcolm Offord Baron Offord of Garvel |
4 October 2021 | 9 February 2024 | Liz Truss | ||
| Rishi Sunak | |||||
| John Lamont | 27 October 2022 | 5 July 2024 | |||
| Donald Cameron Baron Cameron of Lochiel |
9 February 2024 | 5 July 2024 | |||
| Kirsty McNeill | Labour Party | 9 July 2024 | Incumbent | Sir Keir Starmer | |
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Images for kids
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John Pratt was the first Under-Secretary for Health for Scotland.
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Walter Elliot held the Under-Secretary role multiple times.
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Thomas Johnston served as Under-Secretary for Scotland.
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John Colville was an Under-Secretary in the 1930s.
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Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn, also known as Lord Dundee.
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George Buchanan was an Under-Secretary after World War II.
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James Henderson Stewart served in the 1950s.
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Bruce Millan was an Under-Secretary in the late 1960s.
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George Younger held the position in the early 1970s.
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Sir Teddy Taylor served as Under-Secretary.
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Robert Hughes was an Under-Secretary in the 1970s.
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Malcolm Rifkind held the role in the 1980s.
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Michael Ancram served as Under-Secretary.
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Ian Lang was an Under-Secretary in the late 1980s.
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James Douglas-Hamilton served for many years.
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Michael Forsyth was an Under-Secretary.
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Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde.
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James Lindsay-Bethune, the 16th Earl of Lindsay.
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Malcolm Chisholm served after devolution.
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Gus Macdonald was an Under-Secretary.
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Anne McGuire was an Under-Secretary in the early 2000s.
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David Cairns held the role in the mid-2000s.
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Ann McKechin served as Under-Secretary.
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David Mundell held the position for several years.
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Andrew Dunlop served as Under-Secretary.
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Ian Duncan was an Under-Secretary.
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Robin Walker held the role in 2019.
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Colin Clark was an Under-Secretary.
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Douglas Ross served as Under-Secretary.
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David Duguid held the position multiple times.
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Iain Stewart was an Under-Secretary.
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Malcolm Offord served as Under-Secretary.
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John Lamont was an Under-Secretary.
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Donald Cameron served as Under-Secretary.
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Kirsty McNeill is the current Under-Secretary.
See also
- Deputy First Minister of Scotland
