The end of the week saw a series of changes at the highest levels of government, including a new cabinet post with responsibility for the third sector across government offices.
Hilary Armstrong, is the new Minister for the Cabinet Office and Social Exclusion. This responsibility has moved from the Home Office's Active Communities Directorate. Her role will be to co-ordinate the Government's agenda to tackle social exclusion, with responsibility for the third sector. She will be supported by Ed Miliband as Parliamentary Secretary, who will lead on finalizing the forthcoming action plan for third sector public service delivery. The new office will draw together the different parts of Whitehall that currently deal with third sector organisations and social enterprises.
Ruth Kelly's Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is the successor department to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). DCLG will incorporate the communities and civic renewal functions previously undertaken by the Home Office, with responsibility for regeneration, neighbourhood renewal and local government (previously held by the ODPM). Its overall remit is to promote community cohesion and equality.
The transfer of the active communities and civic renewal functions away from the Home Office is intended to focus the department on policing, prisons, probation, the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour, immigration, asylum and counter terrorism.
Other relevant moves for the sector include:
Home Office
• Charles Clarke has resigned from his post as Home Secretary
• Hazel Blears moves from the Home Office to become Chair of the Labour Party.
• Paul Goggins moves from the Home Office post of third sector minister to become a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Northern Ireland Office
DTI
• Alun Michael has resigned as minister for social enterprise within the Department of Trade and Industry
• Alan Johnson moves from the DTI to become Secretary of State for Education and Skills
ODPM
• David Miliband moves from ODPM to become Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Ruth Kelly moves from DfES to become Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and Minister for Women
• John Prescott will remain as deputy Prime Minister, but loses his departmental responsibilities.
Department of Health
• Liam Byrne moves from the Department of Health to become Minister of State in the Home Office.
• Ivan Lewis leaves the Treasury to become Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at DoH
Treasury
• Ed Balls becomes HM Treasury's Economic Secretary
A full list of the new Cabinet and Ministerial team can be viewed at:
http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page9393.asp