Sassoon heads back to private sector

Prime Minister David Cameron’s reshuffle has filtered down into the junior ministerial positions, with Commercial Secretary to the Treasury Lord Sassoon leaving government.

The man in charge of delivering the National Infrastructure Plan is understood to be seeking a return to the private sector, and his role will now go to Paul Deighton, chief executive of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Locog).

Deighton will take up the position in January, having completed his work overseeing the building and hosting of the 2012 Games.

Meanwhile, former business minister Mark Prisk takes over as housing minister following Grant Shapps’s promotion to Conservative Party chairman.

Deputy chairman of the Party Michael Fallon has been appointed new business minister in Prisk’s place, meaning he will have control over the construction brief.

As expected, former Chief Secretary to the Treasury David Laws has also returned to government, with a brief that straddles both education and the Cabinet Office.

For a run-down of the Cabinet-level changes announced by Cameron yesterday, click here.