The schools minister Nick Gibb has been given an expanded role at the Department for Education, with the additional responsibility for steering sex and relationships education (SRE) reform.

The government announced today that as well as his schools remit, which includes teacher recruitment, school admissions, and the national funding formula, Gibb will also be the minister for equalities.

Gibb’s new brief will include responsibilities for SRE and PSHE reforms, which were set in motion earlier this year. These responsibilities did fall under Edward Timpson, the former minister for children and families – who lost his seat in the general election.

However questions were raised about the suitability of the new children’s minister, Robert Goodwill, to preside over SRE changes after Schools Week revealed that Goodwill voted against the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

Gibb will also be responsible for children and young people’s mental health and preventing bullying in schools, while Goodwill takes on the early years portfolio previously held by Caroline Dinenage, who was given a different job at the Department for Work and Pensions in the reshuffle and will not be replaced. Read more via Schools Week