Invigorated by the birth of a son and his elevation this year to ministerial office, Parmjit Dhanda describes himself as "one of life's optimists". Since May 2006, he has been parliamentary undersecretary for children and young people at the Department for Education and Skills, where he replaced Maria Eagle.
Dhanda was born in London of Punjabi Sikh parents. His mother was a cleaner in a local hospital and his father was a lorry driver. "My parents came to Britain in the 1960s," he says. "I used to play a lot of football as a child and still take an active interest in the sport. I now spread my allegiances between Gloucester rugby team and Gloucester City FC and I'm a lifelong Liverpool fan."
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
