Lord Mandelson has confirmed the responsibilities of his team at the new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

BIS controversially brings together two former Departments - the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Lord Mandelson said: "Our purpose is to help the government bring the country out of recession and build up our economic strengths and competitiveness - I and my ministerial team are resolutely focussed on this task.

"The government needs to provide active and urgent help to business and employees.¡±

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Lord Mandelson will take overall responsibility for the department and will also spend part of his time ¡°in Cabinet Office as First Secretary of State¡± ¨C in effect the deputy prime minister.

Lord Mandelson¡¯s deputy, who will also attend Cabinet, will be Pat McFadden, who takes the title Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills. BIS said his ¡°particular focus¡± will be ¡°on Industrial Activism - New Industry, New Jobs¡±.

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Lord Drayson is confirmed as minister for Science and Innovation, in a joint appointment with the Ministry of Defence, and he will also attend Cabinet.

He will be responsible for innovation, the Technology Strategy Board, science policy and ¡°wealth creation from science¡±.

David Lammy keeps his old title of Minister for Higher Education and Intellectual Property.

BIS said he is responsible for: ¡°Building strong relationships across the higher education sector, higher education teaching quality, Higher Education Strategy, and the Research Assessment Exercise and Research Excellence Framework.

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He will be responsible for ¡°seeking to increase significantly the number of people qualified to Level 4 (or university level skills) and above¡±, and for encouraging voluntary giving in higher education, as well as ¡°student support policy - student grants and loans, all student loans issues, sponsorship of Higher Education Funding Council for England and Student Loans Company, intellectual property issues and the Intellectual Property Office¡±.

Kevin Brennan is Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs, in a joint appointment with the Department of Children, Schools and Families.

Lord Young of Norwood Green is minister for postal affairs and employment relations, but this role includes responsibility for ¡°student issues¡±.

The other ministers are Rosie Winterton (regional economic development and coordination); Lord Davies of Abersoch (trade, investment and business); Baroness Vadera (economic competiveness, small business and enterprise); Ian Lucas (business and regulatory reform); Lord Carter of Barnes (communications, technology and broadcasting)

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