Anne Milton will remain as a minister as the latest government reshuffle comes to an end, FE Week understands.
Number 10 confirmed that only new appointments had been announced on its official Twitter account today. And with no announcement forthcoming about Ms Milton, it is understood that she remains in her position, though the Department for Education has refused to confirm this.
She became skills minister seven months ago after taking over from Robert Halfon, who was sacked in June after serving just under a year.
The appointment of Nadhim Zahawi as a junior minister at the Department for Education was announced as part of today’s reshuffle.
Number 10 tweeted that Mr Zahawi had become a parliamentary undersecretary of state for the DfE, but would not confirm what his brief will be. It will be revealed by the DfE “in due course”, and it is possible that the former apprenticeships adviser could take on the apprenticeships and skills brief.
The DfE refused to comment when asked about which junior minister would have the brief.
Nadhim Zahawi MP becomes Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at Department for Education @educationgovuk #Reshuffle pic.twitter.com/z1conaXECc
— UK Prime Minister (@Number10gov) January 9, 2018
Mr Zahawi was previously appointed apprenticeships adviser to the Prime Minister in November 2015 by former PM David Cameron, in support of the conservative manifesto pledge to deliver three million apprenticeship starts by 2020.
But it was confirmed in August 2016, a month after Theresa May took over as PM, that he was no longer in the role.
Yesterday’s cabinet reshuffle saw Justine Greening resign from government after refusing to move from the DfE to the Department for Work and Pensions. Her position as education secretary has been taken over by Damian Hinds.
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