Alex Salmond announces enlarged cabinet

FIRST Minister Alex Salmond has announced an expanded team in the new Scottish Government.

Each of the five previous cabinet secretaries returned to their roles, with slight changes to their portfolios, and there are new positions for Bruce Crawford, Fiona Hyslop and Alex Neil.

Mr Crawford becomes Cabinet Secretary for Government Strategy to build support across the chamber for the administration's policies.

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Ms Hyslop is promoted to Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, the post she held as a minister in the last parliament.

Alex Neil becomes Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, a role covering Scottish Water, transport and housing.

Frank Mulholland has also been promoted from Solicitor General to Lord Advocate, taking over from Elish Angiolini.

It takes the Scottish Government ministerial team to nine, including First Minister Alex Salmond.

John Swinney's portfolio of finance, employment and sustainable growth has an intensified focus on jobs.

Mr Salmond said: "The Scottish Government secured re-election on the basis of a successful team, and I am delighted to appoint my colleagues to a strengthened cabinet team, delivering on the priorities of the people of Scotland.

Mr Salmond has previously expressed a preference for a tight cabinet team, saying in the election campaign that his immediate predecessor Jack McConnell had "too damn many" MSPs in his cabinet.

The nine-member cabinet compares to ten during the administration of Donald Dewar, and eleven during Henry McLeish's and Mr McConnell's terms as first minister.

The details of ministers will be announced tomorrow.

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There will be motions to seek parliamentary approval for the appointment of cabinet secretaries, ministers and the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General in the Scottish Parliament next Wednesday.

Only those new to a position of cabinet secretary, minister, Lord Advocate and Solicitor General require nomination.

Reflecting the pay freeze taken by the Scottish Government for the past three years, all cabinet secretaries, ministers and law officers will receive a salary as at the April 1 2008 level both for their ministerial and MSP salary.