New e-government minister appointed

The UK has a new minister responsible for e-government following the Cabinet reshuffle.

David Miliband is the new minister responsible for e-government as part of his Cabinet Office brief, it was announced on 16 December 2004. He takes over from Ruth Kelly who was appointed education secretary in the Cabinet reshuffle following David Blunkett's resignation.

Along with e-government, Miliband has responsibility for public sector and civil service reform, and is in charge of the Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat. He is to work closely with Alan Milburn in the No. 10 Policy Directorate and Strategy Unit, and is likely to take a key role on the forthcoming election campaign planning.

Meanwhile, as new home secretary in the reshuffle, Charles Clarke has said he will maintain "continuity" with Blunkett's security agenda including the ID card programme.

Clarke was swift to reject suggestions from Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy that he should "pause" and reconsider the scheme. The new home secretary signalled that he will press ahead with the legislation at its second House of Commons reading on 20 December 2004.

"I certainly shan't pause," he said in response to Kennedy's suggestion. "I shall go ahead with the legislation and we will debate it in the house in the right way."

Clarke is known as a supporter of the scheme, backing Blunkett in Cabinet debates earlier this year. While stressing continuity, he left some room for possible changes of direction with the scheme, hinting that different options for implementing the programme may be taken.

"We will go ahead with it because identity cards are a means of creating a more secure society," he said. "But the questions of how you put it into effect and what you do is a matter for debate."