Grayling continues as Transport Secretary – Gove replaces Leadsom at Environment, including dealing with air pollution

Chris Grayling has kept his job as transport secretary after Theresa May carried out a minor post-election reshuffle, but Michael Gove has returned to the Cabinet as environment secretary, at DEFRA.  Most cabinet ministers retained their posts, but Andrea Leadsom has been moved from Environment to Leader of the Commons. Mr Gove will have to tackle the issue of air quality, where the Government was forced to publish a draft national plan to tackle NO2 pollution from vehicles before the election and is facing further legal action. ClientEarth, which brought the High Court case requiring ministers to rewrite their national air quality plan, has already returned to the courts to challenge the new draft plan, even though the consultation on the plan runs until Thursday (15 June).   Defra has said it is preparing its final plan for publication by 31 July, ‘in line with the timetable directed by the Courts’.   Dr Thérèse Coffey  will remain as Parliamentary Under-Secretary at DEFRA with the air quality portfolio.
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Gove given air pollution hot potato as Grayling keeps transport

By Chris Ames (Transport Network)
12 June 2017

Chris Grayling has kept his job as transport secretary after Theresa May carried out a minor post-election reshuffle, but Michael Gove has returned to the Cabinet as environment secretary.

The cabinet reshuffle on Sunday saw most senior ministers retain their jobs, including Mr Grayling.

However Michael Gove, who left the Cabinet after a failed bid for the Conservative Party leadership last year, has been appointed secretary of state at environment department Defra, replacing Andrea Leadsom.

Mr Gove will have to tackle the issue of air quality, where the Government was forced to publish a draft national plan to tackle nitrogen dioxide pollution from vehicles before the election and is facing further legal action.

ClientEarth, which brought the High Court case requiring ministers to rewrite their national air quality plan, has already returned to the courts to challenge the new draft plan, even though the consultation on the plan runs until Thursday (15 June).

Defra has said it is preparing its final plan for publication by 31 July, ‘in line with the timetable directed by the Courts’.

Sajid Javid has been reappointed as secretary of state at the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Former housing minister Gavin Barwell was appointed as Theresa May’s new chief of staff at the weekend, having lost his parliamentary seat at the election.

https://transport-network.co.uk/Gove-given-air-pollution-hot-potato-as-Grayling-keeps-transport/14150

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Here is the new Cabinet:

Chancellor of the Exchequer – Philip Hammond

Home Secretary- Amber Rudd

Foreign Secretary – Boris Johnson

Brexit Secretary- David Davis

International Trade Secretary- Liam Fox

First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office- Damian Green

Works and Pensions Secretary- David Gauke 

Justice Secretary- David Lidington 

Environment Secretary- Michael Gove

Defence Secretary – Michael Fallon

Health Secretary – Jeremy Hunt

Communities Secretary – Sajid Javid

International Development Secretary- Priti Patel

Transport Secretary- Chris Grayling

Business Secretary- Greg Clark

Education Secretary- Justine Greening 

Culture Secretary- Karen Bradley

Leader of the Commons- Andrea Leadsom

Home Office Minister (attending Cabinet)- Brandon Lewis 

Leader of the House of Lords- Baroness Evans

Conservative Party Chair- Sir Patrick McLoughlin

Secretary of State for Scotland- David Mundell ​

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Promoted

Damian Green – First Secretary of State (was Work and Pensions Secretary)
David Gauke – Work and Pensions Secretary (was Chief Secretary to the Treasury)
David Lidington – Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor (was Leader of the Commons)
Michael Gove – Environment Secretary
Andrea Leadsom – Leader of the Commons (was Environment Secretary)

Demoted

Liz Truss – Chief Secretary to the Treasury (was Justice Secretary)

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