Prime minister Gordon Brown has set up a new Government Equalities Office and appointed Harriet Harman as secretary of state for equality.
The office will be physically located with and supported by staff in the Department for Work and Pensions.
The Women and Equalities Unit, currently based in the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), will transfer to the new office.
Because of the links to the government’s community cohesion agenda, race and faith issues remain located with the rest of the community agenda in the DCLG.
Barbara Follett, Labour MP for Stevenage, has been appointed minister for equality.
