Children's minister Beverley Hughes to stand down

She will relinquish her role as children's minister at the next reshuffle, expected on Friday after this week's European and local elections.

In a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Beverley Hughes said: "I would not have chosen the current appalling climate to announce my decision when so many Members are resigning for reasons to do with their Parliamentary allowances. I want to make it absolutely clear that this has nothing whatsoever to do with my decision or the reason for making it public now."

The letter added: "There are a number of personal and family issues which, taken together, are such that I cannot make the commitment to be in Parliament and away from home for a further five years beyond the next General Election. I now want to be at home much more than being a Minister or MP will ever allow."

Writing separately to members of Stretford and Urmston Labour Party where she is MP, Hughes said: "As many of you are aware, Tom (Hughes' husband) and I have seen a number of significant changes in our family circumstances over the last six months, such that the prospect of continuing to work in London no longer looks tenable."

Beverley Hughes replaced Margaret Hodge as children's minister in May 2005 and was given the power to sit in on selection Cabinet meetings when the Department for Children, Schools and Families was created in June 2007.

Career history of the children's minister:

*Left Ellesmere Port Grammar School in 1968

*Became a Merseyside probation officer in 1972

*Head of department of social work at Manchester University in 1994

*Elected to Trafford council in 1986, leading it from 1995

*Elected MP for Stretford and Urmston in 1997 and was a member of the home affairs select committee

*Became parliamentary private secretary to Hilary Armstrong, local government and housing minister in 1998

*Made under-secretary at Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions in 1999

*Appointed as under-secretary at the Home Office in 2001

*Made minister for citizenship, immigration and counter terrorism in 2002