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A senior management shake-up in the new Department for Education and Employment will involve cutting the number of top civil servant posts by a third, the Government announced this week.

A new departmental structure unveiled on Wednesday shows that the number of officials at divisional manager level and above will be slimmed down from 140 to 95. The new regime will be headed by just one permanent secretary, but it will be up to the Prime Minister to decide whether the post should be taken by Michael Bichard or Sir Tim Lankester, who have been sharing the position since the department was formed.

The new directorate for further and higher education and youth training will be supported by a director and four divisional managers for HE, and a director and five divisional managers for FE and youth training.

The reorganisation follows a senior management review of the department and of the employment service. The latter will result in a reduction in management posts in the employment service from 55 to 42.