The government has appointed Lord Prior (right) as new construction minister.
The Conservative peer and former Lehman Brothers associate takes over the role from Jesse Norman who is moving on to become energy minister.
He was an MP for North Norfolk between 1997 and 2001, and has held a number of jobs outside of politics, including a senior executive role at British Steel.
Prior was previously a junior health minister and was brought into the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy just before Christmas.
His responsibilities will include infrastructure, construction, professional services, the rail supply chain, and the defence and maritime sectors.
Commenting on the appointment, Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “We welcome the appointment of Lord Prior, whose combination of political and professional experience should leave him well placed to forge the strong, collaborative relationship that is needed between industry and government.”
“It’s undoubtedly an exciting time for the construction sector as we respond to the opportunities and challenges which stem from the recommendations made by the recent Farmer and Bonfield reviews. We are also in the midst of the government’s review of CITB, the outcome of which will decide the future of our industry training board.”
