The Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet.^[1] The minister supports the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, who has overall responsible for the portfolio.^[2]

The Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning is Joe FitzPatrick MSP, who was appointed on 29 March 2023.

The Minister has responsibility for:

• Housing
• Social security
• Local government
• Planning and building standards
• Business Improvement Districts
• Community planning
• Homelessness
• Regeneration
• Fuel poverty^[3]

In 2011, the position of Minister for Local Government and Planning was created; the portfolio changed in November 2014 following a reshuffle by Nicola Sturgeon when she became First Minister of Scotland. The post was rebranded at that point to Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment.

In September 2012, the junior post of Minister for Housing and Welfare was announced, with a portfolio intended to reflect the important role of housing in aiding economic recovery and the challenges that face those in poverty. In May 2016, Nicola Sturgeon reshuffled junior ministers and the post joined local government and housing in a new Minister for Local Government and Housing role. Planning was added to the title in June 2018. The title was changed in May 2021 to Minister for Social Security and Local Government at the start of the third Sturgeon government, with the post also taking responsibility for social security, which between 2018 and 2021 was the responsibility of a separate cabinet-level post, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People.^[3][2] In March 2023, the post became Minister for Local Government Empowering and Planning under the Yousaf government.