Andy Burnham has succeeded Alan Johnson as health secretary, but
Ed Balls will stay on as children's secretary, following
Gordon Brown's Cabinet reshuffle today.
Burnham - a former health minister and latterly culture
secretary - will now join Balls in taking responsibility for the
Social Work Task Force, which has been set up to raise the standing
of the profession in England.
Balls, who was tipped to become Chancellor of the Exchequer,
will retain responsibility for the reforms to child protection he
initiated following the
baby Peter scandal. He will be supported in
this by Dawn Primarolo, who moves from the Department of Health to
become children's minister, succeeding Beverley Hughes.
Burnham will be responsible for producing the green paper on the
future funding of adult social care, which is due this month.
Johnson as left the DH to become home secretary, while Yvette
Cooper has been promoted from chief secretary to the Treasury to
work and pensions secretary, succeeding James Purnell. Purnell quit
yesterday in a bid to force Brown to stand down as prime
minister.
Former universities secretary John Denham has been appointed
communities and local government secretary, succeeding Hazel
Blears.
Blog: Reshuffling adult social
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