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 care
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