Over recent weeks there has been a little lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities within the Government, with some of HR Zone’s members particularly asking about equality issues, equal opps, disability issues and women’s issues.
We know that government offices watch both HR Zone and TrainingZONE closely and have therefore not been surprised at the following speech release by John Presott, Deputy Prime Minister yesterday.
Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, yesterday outlined the structure and responsibilities of the Office for the Deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet Office:
“I head a new Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet Office. I am supported by a Minister of State, Barbara Roche, and by a Parliamentary Secretary, Christopher Leslie and by Lord Macdonald of Tradeston CBE and Baroness Morgan of Huyton for business in the House of Lords. As First Secretary of State I will continue to deputise for the Prime Minister as required, drawing on the resources of other parts of the Cabinet Office as necessary. I will oversee the work of the Social Exclusion Unit, which reports to the Prime Minister through me. I am also responsible for the Regional Co-ordination Unit and the nine Government Offices of the Regions. On international matters I will support the Prime Minister by seeing visiting dignitaries; undertaking overseas visits; and overseeing the work of the International Public Service Unit. I also carry Ministerial responsibility for the British Irish Council and will deputise as necessary for the Prime Minister at meetings of the Council. I will continue to play a role in international climate change discussions and negotiations on behalf of the Prime Minister. In addition, I will chair new Cabinet Committees on Domestic Affairs and on Nations and the Regions; and new sub-Committees on Social Exclusion and Regeneration and on Energy Policy. I will continue to chair the Committee on the Environment.
“The Minister of State in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, Barbara Roche, supports me across the full range of my duties. She will, in particular, oversee the work of the Regional Co-ordination Unit and the Government Offices in the Regions, reporting to me on the development of their role and on the work of the regional network of the COI. She will lead on projects arising out of the work of the Social Exclusion Unit, be responsible for the work of the Business Co-ordination Unit, and will be sponsor Minister for a number of PIU projects. She will also be a member of a number of Cabinet Committees, including those on the regions and social exclusion.
“The Parliamentary Secretary, Christopher Leslie will support Barbara Roche and me across the range of our duties. He will also support Lord Macdonald and will be the Minister answerable in the Commons for day-to-day decisions on the Civil Service under the Prime Minister as Minister for the Civil Service.
“Baroness Morgan of Huyton, Deputy Minister for Women, will report to Patricia Hewitt as the Cabinet Minister for Women on: the day-to-day oversight of the Women and Equality Unit and sponsorship of the Women’s National Commission. She will co-ordinate equality issues across Whitehall as Chair of a new Cabinet Sub-Committee on Equality. She will also have responsibility for implementation of Article 13 (reporting to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry) and cross-cutting equality issues (on behalf of the three lead equality Ministers).
“The Rt Hon Lord Macdonald of Tradeston CBE, as Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster reports direct to the Prime Minister. He has day-to-day responsibility for the work of the Delivery Unit, which supports the Prime Minister on matters to do with the delivery of public services. He will work closely with me as appropriate on related cross-cutting issues covered by the Cabinet Committees under my chairmanship. He is also responsible for the work of the Regulatory Impact Unit; and the e-envoy’s unit’s work on e-government. He will chair the Panel on Regulatory Accountability and will jointly chair a new Ministerial Group on the Manchester Commonwealth Games with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
“The Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Home Civil Service, Sir Richard Wilson, will continue to report direct to the Prime Minister on the work of the Cabinet and Cabinet Committee Secretariats; the Joint Intelligence Committee and the Single Intelligence Vote for which he is the Accounting Officer; and the corporate management of the Civil Service (including the Government Information and Communication Service); the honours system; the Performance and Innovation Unit, which reports through him to the Prime Minister and which will provide support to the new Forward Strategy Unit in Number 10; and the new Office of Public Services Reform which will similarly report through him to the Prime Minister.”
We’re grateful Mr Prescott!
