Chelmsford MP’s job in coalition

A NUMBER of MPs with connections to Suffolk and Essex have been appointed to David Cameron’s coalition government.

Chelmsford’s Conservative MP Simon Burns, who fought off a spirited Liberal Democrat challenge at the General Election, becomes a Minister of State in the Department of Health while Cambridgeshire MP and form former Suffolk Coastal district councillors and Framlingham Farmer Jim Paice has been appointed Minister of State in the Department for Food and Rural Affairs.

Mr Burns said he was “delighted and honoured” to be given the job. “I have always been interested in health policy particularly as I was a junior health minister at the end of the last Conservative Government and spent five years in opposition as the shadow health minister.

David Gaulke, a Hertfordshire MP who was born in Ipswich and attended Northgate High School, becomes Exchequer Secretary and Weston-super-Mare Tory MP John Penrose, who was educated at Ipswich School, becomes Tourism Minister.

The full list of ministerial appointments at minister of state level is:

HM Treasury: Financial Secretary - Mark Hoban (Conservative); Economic Secretary - Justine Greening (Con), Exchequer Secretary - David Gauke (Con)

Ministry of Justice: Lord McNally (Liberal Democrat) and Nick Herbert (Con) (jointly with the Home Office) appointed as ministers of state.

Home Office: Minister for Security - Baroness Neville-Jones (Con); Minister for Immigration - Damian Green (Con); Minister for Police - Nick Herbert (Con) (jointly with the Ministry of Justice)

Ministry of Defence: Minister for the Armed Forces - Nick Harvey (LD)

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Mark Prisk (Con) and John Hayes (Con) appointed as ministers of state. David Willetts is minister for universities and science.

Department for Work and Pensions: Chris Grayling (Con) and Steve Webb (LD) appointed as ministers of state.

Department of Energy and Climate Change: Charles Hendry (Con) and Gregory Barker (Con) appointed as ministers of state.

Department of Health: Paul Burstow (LD) and Simon Burns (Con) appointed as ministers of state.

Department for Education: Sarah Teather (LD) and Nick Gibb (Con) appointed as ministers of state.

Department for Communities and Local Government: Greg Clark (Con) and Grant Shapps (Con) appointed as ministers of state.

Department for Transport: Theresa Villiers (Con) appointed as minister of state.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: James Paice appointed as minister of state (Con).

Department for International Development: Alan Duncan (Con) appointed as minister of state.

Northern Ireland: Hugo Swire (Con)appointed as minister of state.

Law Officers: Solicitor General: Edward Garnier QC (Con)

Whips: House of Lords: Chief Whip (Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms) - Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE.