Housing minister missing from first coalition Cabinet

The Conservative-Liberal Democrat Government tonight published details of its first full Cabinet - and it looks as though a housing minister will no longer be sitting round the top table at 10 Downing Street.

All day the sector had been waiting for news on who the new minister would be, with Grant Shapps and Sarah Teather the most likely candidates. But by 9pm, the only appointment at the department for Communities and Local Government was the new Secretary of State Eric Pickles.

The department's website insists details of its new ministers will be published when they become available, but a housing minister remains conspicuous by its absence as the rest of the new government gets down to business.

If, as seems increasingly apparent, the position of housing minister is relegated to a junior post it will be a blow for the sector, which had hopes that housing would be made a priority under the new regime.

Grant Shapps' Twitter feed, usually an informative source of political news and comment, has been quiet all day. Former Conservative housing minister, Sir George Young, meanwhile, has been made Leader of the House of Commons.

For those who wish to check for themselves, here is the full official list of the new Cabinet. If anyone spots a housing minister on the list, please give me a call.

• Prime Minister - David Cameron
• Deputy Prime Minister - Nick Clegg
• Foreign Secretary - William Hague
• Chancellor - George Osborne
• Justice Secretary - Kenneth Clarke
• Home Secretary - Theresa May
• Defence Secretary - Liam Fox
• Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary - Vince Cable
• Work and Pensions Secretary - Iain Duncan Smith
• Energy and Climate Change Secretary - Chris Huhne
• Health Secretary - Andrew Lansley
• Education Secretary - Michael Gove
• Communities and Local Government Secretary - Eric Pickles
• Transport Secretary - Philip Hammond
• Environment Food and Rural Affairs Secretary - Caroline Spelman
• International Development Secretary - Andrew Mitchell
• Northern Ireland Secretary - Owen Paterson
• Scottish Secretary - Danny Alexander
• Welsh Secretary - Cheryl Gillan
• Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Secretary - Jeremy Hunt
• Chief Secretary to the Treasury - David Laws
• Leader of the House of Lords - Lord Strathclyde
• Minister without Portfolio - Baroness Warsi

Also attending Cabinet:

• Minister for the Cabinet Office, Paymaster General - Francis Maude
• Minister of State - Cabinet Office - Oliver Letwin
• Minister of State (Universities and Science) - Department for Business, Innovation and Skills - David Willetts
• Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Privy Seal - Sir George Young
• Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip - Patrick McLoughlin
• Attorney General - Dominic Grieve.