With effect from 1 April 2008, responsibility for Government Skills will be transferred from the Cabinet Office to the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Government Skills is the Sector Skills Council tasked with working with central Government Departments and the armed forces to increase the skills of the workforce. With the creation of the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills this move will improve alignment with economy-wide skills policy.

Government Skills will continue to work closely with the devolved Administrations and with the Cabinet Office. No transfer of functions order is necessary to effect the change.

I have today placed in the Libraries of both Houses a paper by the Cabinet Office which sets out the reasons for this change in further detail.