Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy

Responsibilities

The Cabinet Secretary has responsibility for:

• Scottish budget, budgetary monitoring and reporting
• fiscal policy and taxation
• exchequer and the public finances
• economic strategy
• National Strategy for Economic Transformation and Council for Economic Transformation
• wellbeing economy
• enterprise agencies
• employment policy
• four-day working week
• Just Transition (with CS Net Zero)
• Scottish National Investment Bank
• Scottish Futures Trust (SFT)
• trade and inward investment
• Office of the Chief Economic Adviser
• City and Regional Growth Deals
• Scottish Fiscal Commission
• enterprise, innovation and increasing productivity
• government investments (Prestwick, Fergusons, BiFab)
• digital economy, strategy, participation and connectivity (inc, 100% broadband and Connecting Scotland)
• Revenue Scotland
• Green Jobs Fund
• Women’s Business Centre
• Rural Entrepreneur Fund

Supporting Ministers

• Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work
• Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise
• Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth

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) and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy 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.

She was successfully re-elected as the constituency MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch on 7 May 2021.

She was formally appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy on 20 May 2021.