Lord Prior of Brampton will now shape Britain's business and energy policy after the Prime Minister has reshuffled her House of Lords front bench.

Theresa May announced today that the former Norfolk MP, who has been a junior minister in the Department for Health since David Cameron gave him a life peerage after the last general election, has joined the merged Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The shake up of roles follows the resignation of Treasury minister Lord O'Neill - a key ally of former Chancellor George Osborne - earlier this year.

In his old role Lord Prior was responsible for issues such as migrant access to the NHS, the cancer drugs fund, and compensation for victims of the contaminated blood scandal. He was also responsible for the ambulance service during his time at the Department for Health,

The former barrister was the MP for North Norfolk until 2001 when he was defeated by current MP Norman Lamb. In 2002 he became chairman of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital before becoming chairman of the Care Quality Commission in 2013. He stepped down from the role in 2015 when he was given a peerage.

He is a former deputy chairman and chief executive of the Conservative Party,

Lord Prior is a formertrustee of The Inspiration Trust - which has a number of academies in Norfolk.

He is replaced in the health role by former Downing Street aide and Director of Policy to David Cameron Lord O'Shaughnessy.