Children and Young People’s Unit in ministerial limbo

The Children and Young People’s Unit is understood to be
lobbying education secretary Charles Clarke to bring the role of
minister for young people from the Home Office to  the DfES after a
ministerial reshuffle has left the unit in limbo.

Although Paul Goggins was named as Hilary Benn’s
replacement on 13 May, the Home Office did not mention in the press
announcement that his role included minister for young people, and
a week after the appointment Goggins biography on the Home Office
website also describes him only as parliamentary under-secretary
for correctional services. CYPU head Althea Efunshile is expected
to report to the minister for young people, but the unit has not
been told that Goggins has taken over the role.

The CYPU, which is responsible for distributing the
Children’s Fund, is located within the DfES . When it was set
up in 2000,  the prime minister also created the post of minister
for young people, and appointed Home Office minister John Denham to
the job. When Denham resigned in March over the Iraq  war, he was
replaced by Hilary Benn at the Home Office.

A spokesperson at the CYPU said the unit was working on the
basis that as John Denham’s successor Paul Goggins was the
new minister for young people.