COUNTY council leader Hazel Harding has unveiled her new-look cabinet and pledged it would work to improve the services the authority provides.

For the last two years, Rossendale-based Coun Harding has tinkered with the membership of her 10-strong cabinet.

But this year, for the first time, she has also redrawn the roles of each portfolio holder.

Instead of splitting the roles up based on the way council directorates are designed, the portfolios now reflect services, according to Coun Harding.

The social services portfolio has been split into two, one post for child-related services and one for adult services.

Both Coun Harding and her deputy, Doreen Pollitt, have taken on extra responsibilities to allow portfolio-holders to concentrate on smaller areas.

Coun Harding is now in charge of community cohesion issues, while Coun Pollitt keeps emergency planning, trading standards, scientific services, coroners' service and registration of births, deaths and marriages -- all of which she took responsibility for when Pendle county councillor Tim Ormrod resigned from the cabinet earlier this year.

Newcomers to the county's top table include Coun Clive Grunshaw who takes responsibility for the newly-formed children and families portfolio; Coun Anne Brown who takes on community and partnerships and Coun Jean Yates who takes on the only portfolio not to change - highways and transportation.

Nora Ward and Ruth Henig, who is also chairman of the police authority, no longer have places on the cabinet after the shake-up.

Coun Harding said: "The new cabinet reflects the change in lifestyles of people in Lancashire. We have taken on board their needs and have remodelled the cabinet to bring the county council closer to our communities.

"We have striven to create a seamless cabinet with responsibilities cutting across all areas of county council.

"As a council, we are always seeking to listen and respond to the views of the people we serve and we hope that the new Cabinet will continue to do just that by giving clear responsibilities to our council members."

Who's who:

Leader: Hazel Harding: Special responsibilities for performance management/improvement and best value' community cohesion.

Deputy leader: Doreen Pollitt: Special responsibilities for equalities/diversity, trading standards, scientific services, emergency planning, coroners service, registration, births, deaths and marriages.

Education: Alan Whittaker.

Children and families: Clive Grunshaw.

Adult services: Chris Cheetham: Also responsibilities for adult services, health and health improvement.

Cultural services and communications: Marcus Johnstone.

Highways and transportation: Jean Yates.

Resources: Tony Martin.

Urban and rural regeneration: Brian Johnson.

Community and partnerships: Anne Brown.

Out:

Crossing-cutting portfolio: Ruth Henig

Highways and transportation: Nora Ward