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E-government minister named

Steve Ranger silicon.com

Published: 31 May 2006 16:30 BST

Nearly a month after the cabinet reshuffle, it has finally been decided which minister will be looking after the e-government agenda.

The Cabinet Office said Pat McFadden will now take on the e-government brief previously held by Jim Murphy, who was moved to the Department for Work and Pensions in the reshuffle, held in the first week of May.

McFadden, a parliamentary secretary at the Cabinet Office, was elected as the MP for Wolverhampton South East in the 2005 election, and before that he was a political secretary to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street.

A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said the delay in deciding ministerial briefs was the result of the department taking on extra responsibilities — and an extra minister — as a result of the reshuffle.

Deciding who would take the e-government brief completes the line-up of ministers with responsibility for IT issues. Other ministers with responsibilities for issues such as ecommerce and ID cards have already been appointed.