Department for Work and Pensions

June 16 2003 - Following Tony Blair's reshuffle of the Cabinet and Junior Ministers, the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is Andrew Smith. The DWP website also reports the following:

"There have been three changes to the Department for Work and Pension's Ministerial team following last week's Cabinet reshuffle.

"Malcom Wicks, previously DWP's Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Work, has been appointed Minister of State for Pensions, Des Browne has become Minister of State for Work and Chris Pond is the new Parliamentary Under Secretary.

"Malcolm Wicks, Member of Parliament for Croydon North since 1992, joined the Department in June 2001. From 1999 to 2001 he was the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Lifelong Learning at the Department for Education and Employment.

"Des Browne, MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun since 1997, was formerly the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at The Northern Ireland Office.

"From 1998 to 1999 he was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the late Donald Dewar MP and more recently to Adam Ingram MP.

"Chris Pond, MP for Gravesham since 1997, has been a member of the Social Security Select Committee and was Director of the Low Pay Unit between 1980 and 1997"

Nick Brown - an ally of Chancellor Gordon Brown - is a notable casualty in this reshuffle. He was demoted to the backbenches. Alistair Darling moves on to become Secretary of State for Transport AND Scotland.

Previous article

12 June 2001 - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Alistair Darling announced the areas of policy responsibilities for his Ministerial Team. The Secretary of State takes overall responsibility for all work and pension matters and also public expenditure issues.

Nick Brown, Minister of State: Structural unemployment policy, Welfare to work (New Deals/ONE), Adult Disadvantage, Jobcentre Plus/BA/ES, Employers, Employment Zones, International, 16-18 policy, Skills

Ian McCartney, Minister of Pensions: Basic Pension, SERPS/S2P, Stakeholders and private pensions, Occupational Pensions, NI Fund/NIRS2, Pension Credit, The Pensions Service, MIG, Ministerial Group for Older People

Malcolm Wicks, Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work): Deputy to the Minister for Work on all work issues, IB/ Medical Policy, Housing Benefit, Bereavement Benefits Social Fund, Fraud and Methods of Payment reform, IS (Working Age)/JSA

Pat Hollis, Minister for Children and the Family, Parliamentary Under Secretary in the Lords: CSA, ICC/Child Benefit, Poverty and Social exclusion, Childcare, Asylum, Green Issues, Maternity/Paternity Pay, Appeals Service and Adjudication issues

Maria Eagle, Minister for Disabled People (PUS): Deputy to the Minister for Pensions on all pensions issues, Disability policy/Disability Rights Commission, Disability Benefits, Carers Benefits, Long-term care

• More General HR Articles