Writing on Twitter this morning, Sam Gyimah, also parliamentary secretary at the Cabinet Office, confirmed that childcare and early years are part of his education brief.
More details of his responsibilities are expected on the GOV.UK website later today.
Sam Gymiah, MP for East Surrey, was appointed parliamentary under secretary of state for education last week as part of the Prime Minister David Cameron’s reshuffle.
The position of parliamentary under secretary of state for women and equalities has now been moved from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to the Department for Education, and appointed to Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson.
Jo Swinson, also minister for employment relations and consumer affairs at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, will work under Nicky Morgan, minister for women and equalities and education secretary.
Pre-school Learning Alliance chief executive Neil Leitch said the appointment was 'an opportunity for a fresh start – a chance for policy-makers to work much more collaboratively with the sector in order to support the development of a high-quality, sustainable childcare system.
'This move has come at a particularly crucial time for early years with several changes due to come into effect later this year, such as the revised EYFS Framework, the extension of the two-year-old offer, the introduction of childminder agencies and the implementation of the SEND code of practice. As such, we look forward to working with Mr Gyimah and his team at the Department for Education to ensure that the sector is adequately supported during this time of transition, as well as in the longer-term.'
Victoria Flint, head of communications at the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years, said, 'We look forward to working with Mr Gyimah and his team to address some of the most pressing challenges for families and childcare professionals during a critical time for the sector.
'One of the key challenges over the coming year is ensuring that families have access to flexible, affordable and high quality childcare, especially those living in disadvantage. To achieve this, we need a childcare and early years workforce programme that attracts new entrants into the profession and supports existing childcare professionals to improve their level of expertise, across the full range of settings.
'We’d like to see Mr Gyimah propose an effective way to address the current shortfall experienced by many childcare professionals who receive the free early years entitlement. Increasing this funding to an appropriate level would enable registered childcare providers to invest in the quality staff that all the evidence shows supports better outcomes for children, particularly the most disadvantaged.
'We would also like to see a renewed commitment to ensuring that all early years settings support children’s emotional, social and physical development on an equal footing with academic attainment.
'Above all, we are interested in exploring with Mr Gyimah our ideas for supporting greater recognition of the fantastic skills, efforts and expertise of childcare professionals, who work every day to give the youngest in society the very best start in life.'
Ministerial responsibilities post re-shuffle, from 15 July 2014
Nicky Morgan, secretary of state for education and minister for women and equalities (from July 2014)
Overall responsibility for the work of the DfE, including: early years, adoption and child protection, teachers’ pay, the school curriculum, school improvement, the establishment of free schools and academies.
As minister for women and equalities has overall responsibility for policy on women, policy on sexual orientation and transgender equality, cross-government equality strategy and legislation
David Laws, minister of state for schools in the DfE and minister of state in the cabinet office (from September 2012)
Nick Boles, minister of state for skills and equalities jointly for the DfE and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (from July 2014). Responsibilities to be confirmed.
Nick Gibb
Brought back into the DfE as minister of state. Responsibilities to be confirmed. Previously minister of state for schools from May 2010 to September 2012.
Edward Timpson, parliamentary under secretary of state for children and families (from September 2012)
Responsibilities include: Adoption, fostering and residential care home reform;child protection; special educational needs and disability; family law and justice; children’s and young people’s services; school sport; Cafcass; Office of the Children’s Commissioner.
Sam Gyimah, parliamentary under secretary of state, responsibilities include childcare and early years (from July 2014) Full responsibilities to be confirmed. Parliamentary secretary of state for the Cabinet Office.
Conservative MP for East Surry since 2010. Previously was Government Whip and Lord Commissioner of the HM Treasury from October 2013.
Prior to that he was Parliamentary Private Secretary to David Cameron from 2012 to 2013.
Lord Nash, parliamentary under secretary of state for schools, from 2013, (an unpaid role). Responsibilities include: academies, free schools, university technical colleges (UTCs), studio schools, independent schools, faith schools, grammar schools, boarding schools; school organisation; school governance; Department for Education review; the Education Funding Agency.
Jo Swinson
Parliamentary under secretary of state for women and equalities. In July 2014, this role moved from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport to the Department for Education.
In the Department for BIS, the parliamentary under secretary of state for employment relations and consumer affairs