Brown unveils new team

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's first Cabinet was announced by Downing Street today with Jacqui Smith confirmed as Britain's first female Home Secretary.

Alistair Darling was confirmed as Chancellor of the Exchequer and David Miliband as Foreign Secretary.

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Jack Straw becomes Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, Alan Johnson takes health and Des Browne remains Defence Secretary.

Jacqui Smith arrived at the Home Office headquarters in Westminster and said she was "immensely proud" to take on the role.

Mr Miliband, who at 41 becomes the youngest Foreign Secretary since David Owen in 1977, said he was tremendously honoured".

There was a string of changes to the Government team left by Tony Blair.

John Hutton takes the new role of Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, while education is split between Ed Balls as children, schools and families secretary, and John Denham as innovation, universities and skills secretary.

Hilary Benn is the new Environment Secretary, Douglas Alexander takes the International Development post, Peter Hain has the Work and Pensions brief as well as Wales, while Ruth Kelly becomes Transport Secretary.

Hazel Blears is Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, James Purnell becomes Culture, Media and Sport Secretary and Shaun Woodward is Northern Ireland Secretary.

Geoff Hoon is the new Chief Whip, Ed Miliband is Secretary for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Andy Burnham is Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Cabinet is completed with Leader of the Lords Baroness Ashton.

Among the leavers announced today was Foreign Office Minister Ian McCartney. Despite being invited to stay on as a minister, he told Gordon Brown that it was more important to bring in "new faces".

Former immigration minister Beverley Hughes becomes Minister for Children and Youth Justice outside the Cabinet, but will attend Cabinet when social policy issues are being discussed, said Downing Street.

Mr Brown's prime ministerial aides - known as Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPSs) - will be his former press spokesman Ian Austin and Basildon MP Angela E Smith.

Mr Straw, who does not become a peer, has the title of Lord Chancellor because abolishing the ancient post would have meant copious changes to legislation.

It is not necessary for the Lord Chancellor to sit in the Lords any more since his ceremonial position as its unofficial Speaker has been replaced by an elected Speaker for the Upper House.

There are 11 members of the old Cabinet - including Tony Blair and John Prescott - who are not in Mr Brown's first administration.

The new Cabinet was meeting for the first time this afternoon.

Mr Brown has created three new departments: the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

The Department for Trade and Industry has been abolished, along with the Department for Education and Skills which has been split into two.

Also attending Cabinet will be former Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, who becomes Minister for the Olympics, London and the South East, Attorney General Baroness Scotland, Housing Minister Yvette Cooper and Lords Chief Whip Lord Grocott.

The former United Nations deputy secretary-general and one-time spokesman for Kofi Annan, Sir Mark Malloch Brown, is granted a peerage in order to take up the post of minister for Africa, Asia and the UN. He will not have Cabinet rank but will attend Cabinet meetings.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said Mr Brown did not see the need for a Deputy Prime Minister.

He said: "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 new Department for Children and Families will have responsibility for education up to the age of 19, although funding for 16 to 19-year-olds' training and education will be distributed by Local Education Authorities.

The new department run by Mr Balls will also have responsibility for family policy, including child poverty and children's health issues such as obesity, and encouraging youth sport and will also tackle the so-called "Respect" agenda.

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

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

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

Mr Brown "saw as many people a possible in person", said his spokesman, with the conversations taking place last night and this morning.

The reshuffle was the most widely leaked in memory, despite promises from Mr Brown's team of an end to spin.