Prime Minister Tony Blair is putting the finishing touches to his new Cabinet, with only the junior positions waiting to be confirmed.
Stephen Byers, the former Trade and Industry Secretary, and Margaret Beckett, previously Leader of the House of Commons, have taken top positions at a reconfigured DETR. Byers will head the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR), while Beckett will take the helm at the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) – a hybrid of DETR and MAFF.
By the end of today the Prime Minister will have finalised the junior ministerial positions. Nick Raynsford is thought to stay on as head of planning, which, with building regulations, will remain the responsibility of DTLR.
It was thought that Jack Straw would take the top position at a reformed DETR, but a surprise move by the Prime Minister led to Straw taking the Foreign Secretary job from Robin Cook, who has now been relegated to Leader of the House of Commons.
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, as expected, has taken on a new role at Cabinet Office, and is expected to use the position to entrench Labour’s regional policies. The Cabinet Office position will control the Regional Co-ordination Unit and the Government Offices of the Regions, although control of RDAs will go to the Department of Trade and Industry.
DTI, now under the command of Patricia Hewitt, will also take over the Construction Directorate.
Chris Smith, the former Culture Secretary, was one of the unfortunate ones to be fired and not given a consolation prize, and has been replaced by Tessa Jowell.
EGi News 11/06/01
