Over the last couple of days, prime minister David Cameron (pictured) has been announcing his new ministerial team for its coalition government with the Liberal Democrats.

Here are the most significant cabinet appointments for the public property sector:

Chancellor of the Exchequer:

George Osborne

Osborne has been MP for Tatton since 2001. As chancellor, his main role will be to enforce cuts to public sector spending that will have a big impact on how public services are run and how public sector property is used. He is expected to call an emergency Budget within the first 50 days of the new government.

Chief secretary to the Treasury:

David Laws

Laws became MP for Yeovil in 2001, where he was preceded by Paddy Ashdown. He will be working closely with Osborne in the Treasury and have a key role in deciding large public spending cuts.

Secretary of state for Business, Innovation and Skills:

Vince Cable

Cable has been MP for Twickenham since 1997. At the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, his responsibilities will include the Shareholder Executive – which manages the government’s stakes in private sector companies – and the new Property Unit headed by John McCready that sits within that executive.

Secretary of state for Communities and Local Government:

Eric Pickles

Pickles has been MP for Brentwood and Ongar since 1992. At the Department for Communities and Local Government, he will be responsible for setting policy in many key areas of public property including housing, regeneration and planning.

Ministers in CLG under Pickles are housing minister Grant Shapps and Greg Clark, who has been given responsibility for de-centralisation – or delegating powers to local authorities under the party’s “localism” agenda.

Secretary of state for Transport:

Philip Hammond

Hammond became MP for Runnymede and Weybridge in 1997. His responsibilities at the Department for Transport will include projects such as Crossrail, High Speed 2 and airports. The new government has already pledged that there will be no existing runways built at existing airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.

Secretary of state for Energy and Climate Change:

Chris Huhne

Huhne has been MP for Eastleigh since 2005. At the Department for Energy and Climate Change, his responsibilities will include upgrading the energy grid, bringing in new legislation to cut energy waste in areas including the built environment, and pushing through the coalition’s plans for new nuclear power stations. This is despite opposition from the Liberal Democrats to the nuclear policy.

Secretary of state for Justice:

Kenneth Clarke

Clarke was first appointed a minister in 1972, and served in the cabinets of both Margaret Thatcher and John Major. As justice secretarcy his responsibilities will include new prison developments.

Secretary of state for Health:

Andrew Lansley

Lansley has been MP for South Cambridgeshire since 1997. At the Department of Health, he will set the health policy that determines how health services are provided and affect how properties in the health sector have to be managed.

Secretary of state for Education:

Michael Gove

Gove has been MP for Surrey Heath since 2005. At the newly formed Department for Education, he will set the education policy that determines how schools operate and how they school properties are affected by looming spending cuts.

Secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

Caroline Spelman

Spelman became MP for Meriden in 1997. Her responsibilities at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will include setting the policies to protect areas from flooding.

Secretary of state for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport:

Jeremy Hunt

Hunt became MP for South West Surrey in 2005. His main property responsibility will be overseeing development in east London in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics in London.

Minister of state for universities and science:

David Willetts

Willetts has been MP for Havant since 1992. As the minister within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills he will set the policies that influence how universities manage their properties.

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