Children's ministers confirmed

The ministers that will shape policy for children, young people and families for years to come were appointed to their roles last week.

Tory leading light Michael Gove stepped up from his role as shadow secretary of state for children, schools and families to head the new Department for Education as Secretary of State for Education.

Gove has pledged his commitment to offering academy-style freedoms to all schools, radically reforming the exam system and making class sizes smaller.

The appointment of Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather as children and families minister makes her the only member of her party with a leading role in the department.

Before the election, she was the Lib Dems' shadow minister for housing for two years. Prior to that, she was education spokeswoman and universities spokeswoman for the party.

The post of junior children's minister has been awarded to Tim Loughton, who was shadow children's minister for the Conservatives for seven years. It is expected he will cover similar ground to the brief he held in opposition, including looked-after children.

Conservative MP Nick Gibb has landed the role of schools minister. After spending five years as shadow education minister and then shadow minister for schools, he is likely to be a leading force behind the introduction of the Conservatives' free school model.

Gibb has also been a keen advocate of the synthetic phonics method of teaching children to read.

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith has taken up the role of Work and Pensions Secretary. As founder of the Centre for Social Justice think-tank, which informed much of the Tories' families policy, he is expected to lead on a wide programme of welfare reforms.

Veteran Conservative MP Kenneth Clarke has been appointed Secretary of State for Justice, although it is not yet clear how much responsibility he will have for youth justice.

The government's new Secretary of State for Health is Conservative MP Andrew Lansley, who previously served almost seven years as shadow health minister.

NEW APPOINTMENTS

• Michael Gove (Con) Secretary of State for Education
• Sarah Teather (Lib Dem) Minister of state for children and families
• Tim Loughton (Con) Parliamentary under-secretary of state for children and families
• Nick Gibb (Con) Schools minister
• Kenneth Clarke (Con) Secretary of State for Justice
• Iain Duncan Smith (Con) Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
• Maria Miller (Con) Parliamentary under-secretary of state for work and pensions (right)
• Andrew Lansley (Con) Secretary of State for Health