Confusion over youth minister

Beverly Hughes has been offered the job of minister for young
people. As 0-19 went to press the appointment had yet to
be confirmed, and follows more than two weeks of confusion about
who would take over the role. Hughes is also minister of state for
citizenship, immigration and community cohesion.

The role of minister for young people was left empty when Hilary
Benn was promoted in a reshuffle on May 13. He had held the post
for only two months, succeeding John Denham in March.

Although Paul Goggins was named as Hilary Benn’s
replacement, the Home Office did not say that his role included
that of minister for young people. CYPU head Althea Efunshile
reports to the minister for young people but the unit was not told
that Goggins had taken over the role. Goggins’s biography on
the Home Office website describes him as parliamentary
under-secretary for correctional services, although last week it
added that he was exercising ministerial responsibility for the
CYPU pending a new appointment.

The CYPU was believed to be lobbying education secretary Charles
Clarke to bring the role of minister for young people into the
Department for Education and Skills, but was meanwhile operating on
the assumption that Goggins was the new minister.