Humza Yousaf has announced that Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition Màiri McAllan will add transport to her role.

Fiona Hyslop has been brought back into government to replace Kevin Stewart as transport minister reporting to Ms McAllan.

The government says the change sees transport being restored as a Cabinet post, but there were calls for a separate department for Transport to focus on issues such as ferries and A9 dualling.

Ms McAllan will have a greater day-to-day role in the transport brief. Responsibility for the Green Economy will move from Ms McAllan to Richard Lochhead, who will report to her for these issues, freeing Ms McAllan to take on a greater role in transport. Mr Lochhead’s new title will be Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade.

In addition, the First Minster has also amended the role of Gillian Martin, adding responsibilities to her remit and changing her title to ‘Minister for Energy and the Environment’. She will report jointly to Neil Gray, the Cabinet Secretary for the Wellbeing Economy and to Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands.

The First Minister said: “I am pleased to announce that I am strengthening the ministerial team on transport.

“I have taken two steps: first, by changing Màiri McAllan’s remit, I am freeing her to take a direct day-to-day role in transport, effectively bringing transport explicitly back into Cabinet.

“Second, I am bringing one of the most experienced politicians in the Scottish Parliament – Fiona Hyslop – into the role of Minister for Transport. Her return to government means she can bring her decades of experience across government to bear on the challenges that exist, not least around ferry services.

“Finally, I am using this opportunity to also bring some extra support to the rural portfolio by expanding Gillian Martin’s role, and ensuring that Richard Lochhead’s title reflects his responsibilities supporting business across Scotland. This will ensure that the significant policy plans of this Government can be pursued with vigour.”