Scotland splits education brief

Scotland's new cabinet sees a split in the education brief, with Henry McLeish as minister for enterprise and lifelong learning, while Sam Galbraith is minister for children and education, responsible for school education.

Mr McLeish is a former lecturer in social science at Heriot-Watt University. His new brief covers further and higher education, the science base, lifelong learning, training and the New Deal, as well as responsibility for the economy, business and industry, trade and inward investment. Opposition MPs unsuccessfully tried to block his appointment, saying the electorate wanted fees abolished.

Liberal Democrat MSP Nicol Stephen is deputy minister for enterprise and lifelong learning as part of the coalition deal with Labour.

The finance minister responsible for the Scottish budget is former National Union of Students Scotland activist Jack McConnell.