New care services minister to address Community Care Live

The new minister for care services Ivan Lewis will be attending our massive two-day annual event Community Care Live 2006 next week.

Current minister Liam Byrne was expected to address delegates at our conference at the Business Design Centre in London next Wednesday.

But following a parliamentary re-shuffle prompted by Home Secretary Charles Clarke’s sacking, it has been confirmed that the new minister Ivan Lewis will now address the conference.

Lewis was appointed as Economic Secretary to the Treasury in May 2005, having been Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Skills and Vocational Education at the Department for Education and Skills since June 2003.

Prior to that he was Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Young People and Learning, Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Adult Learning and Skills and then Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Young People and Adult Skills at the DfES.

He worked in the voluntary sector between 1986 and 1997 for Outreach, Contact Community Care Group and as chief executive of the Manchester Jewish Federation