The Department for Education
and Employment has been reorganised following the ministerial reshuffle last
weekend.
The DfEE and the Department of Social
Security and their agencies have been re-organised into two new departments,
the Department for Education and Skills, and the Department for Work, Family
and Pensions.
The new Department for Education and
Skills is to focus on raising standards in education, getting more students
into higher education and improving work-based training and lifelong learning.
Estelle Morris will head up the department as Secretary for Education and
Skills.
The Department for Work, Family and
Pensions will be responsible for work and benefit-related services, including
the Employment Service, the Benefits Agency and the Child Support Agency.
Former agriculture minister Nick Brown has been appointed Minister for
Work at the Department for Work, Family and Pensions.
The Home Office has been slimmed
down to concentrate on tackling crime, reform of the criminal justice system
and asylum. Responsibility for constitutional issues such as freedom of
information, data protection and human rights has been transferred to the Lord
Chancellor’s Department.
The Home office retains a seven-strong ministerial team, headed by David
Blunkett, and including middle-ranking ministers such as John Denham, Keith
Bradley and Jeff Rooker, who will deal with asylum.
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