Catherine Ashton

Catherine Ashton has taken day-to-day responsibility for early years education, childcare, daycare services and Sure Start in England as well as family learning and the role of parents in supporting schools. The parliamentary under-secretary of state for Sure Start, early years and childcare's responsibilities were spelled out last week by education secretary Estelle Morris when she detailed which areas of individual policy would be assigned to members of her ministerial team. The Commons spokeswoman for early years is Maria Eagle, while school standards minister David Miliband will be in charge of the national literacy and numeracy strategies, as well as...