Help with schedules

Maria Miller was tipped for Health and Wales before ending up at the DCMS.  Her first weeks saw some unpleasant tasks - issuing warning of redundancy notices to all her new staff (headed "Your Future") as the Department moves to closure on Jeremy Hunt's cuts plans. 80 civil servants need to volunteer to go by the end of the financial year, otherwise a process of selection-for-retention comes into play. Last year 67 chose an early exit, costing the redundancy pot £3.2m, with an average pay-off of £48,500.

Over three years, the DCMS will have reduced from 590 staff to around 330 (and some of those will be on short-term contracts). And from next year, those 330 move from their remaining three floors of Cockspur Street, away from the 158 Scottish malts in the Whisky Bar of The Albannach opposite, and the DCMS performance space of Trafalgar Square, to the duller surroundings of 100 Parliament Street, opposite the Mitchell Gate to Downing Street. No such cuts in Maria's other department, the Government Equalities Office, where staffing stays at 80 - but an irritating stroll for Maria to the glass factory of Victoria's Eland House, shared with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Eric Pickles' Communities and Local Government.

Still Maria can have some fun this week - with BBC Chairman Lord Patten and his batman George on parade for a first official meeting. She gave early notice that she expects more tv coverage, and fast, of women's sports.  Space has been created, on daytime BBC2.  Will Barbara Slater have provided the Good Lord with a list sufficient to avoid a talking-to ? And how will the diversity discussion go for George ?