Hunt becomes health and social care secretary

Mr Hunt – now health and social care secretary – is already one of the longest serving health secretaries of recent times, having taken over from Andrew Lansley in September 2012.
There are reports that a government green paper on the future care and support of older people, due this summer, will now be published by the Department of Health. Officially, it is still the responsibility of the Cabinet Office.
Some commentators said giving responsibility for both health and adult social care to Mr Hunt (pictured) could encourage integration. At government level, responsibility for social care is shared between the Department of Health and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
But is it unclear if Mr Hunt’s expanded brief means a change in this position. Earlier in the day communities and local government secretary Sajid Javid added housing to his portfolio.

Speculation mounted through the day that Mr Hunt would be offered the post of business secretary, especially when he did not appear in the House of Commons to answer an urgent question on NHS winter pressures, tabled by the opposition. Health minister Philip Dunne fielded the question instead.