Jo Johnson retains universities brief and Hurd moves from climate change

Robert Halfon has been axed as apprenticeships minister by Theresa May as she continues her post-election reshuffle of the government.

Halfon, who retained his Harlow constituency at last week’s poll, confirmed on Twitter that he was no longer minister of state for skills at the Department for Education.

“It’s been an honour to have served as Apprenticeships Minister. I’m proud we have a record 900K apprentices & to have passed the FE/TE Bill,” he wrote, referring to the Technical and Further Education Act, which became legislation earlier this year.

Halfon, who is disabled with mild cerebral palsy, was appointed apprenticeships minister in July last year after May became prime minister.  He had previously served as parliamentary private secretary to former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.

In addition, the government has announced that Jo Johnson is set to remain universities and science minister and that Nick Hurd is moving from minister of state for climate change at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to the Home Office.