Education department and DTI axed

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Prime Minister Gordon Brown has axed the education department and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in a Whitehall shake-up.

Mr Brown has split education in two - with one department for schools up to the age of 19 and another for universities, colleges and skills.

In place of the DTI he has set up the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Deputy prime minister John Prescott will also not be replaced.

'Respect' agenda

The new Department for Children and Families (DCF) will have responsibility for education up to the age of 19.

Run by Mr Brown's ally Ed Balls, it will also deal with family policy, including child poverty and children's health issues such as obesity.

But funding for 16 to 19-year-olds' training and education will be distributed by local education authorities.

The DCF will have the task of encouraging youth sport and the "respect" agenda, aimed at improving young people's behaviour.

Mr Brown's spokesman said: "The new department is clearly focused on the needs of children."

Better regulation

Meanwhile, the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills will supervise science and innovation policy as well as running further and higher education.

It will be run by John Denham, chairman of the influential home affairs committee, who resigned as a Home Office minister in 2003 over the decision to go to war in Iraq.

All education and skills policy in England was previously handled by the Department for Education and Skills.

The DTI's successor - the DBERR - will have responsibility for productivity and enterprise, energy policy, and will contain the Better Regulation Unit.

It will be run by John Hutton, previously in charge of work and pensions.

The prime minister's spokesman said Mr Brown did not see the need for a deputy PM following Mr Prescott's departure.

"He has a very strong Cabinet. He will be showing a strong lead as prime minister and he has taken the decision that it's not necessary to have a deputy prime minister," the spokesman added.