Lord Prior of Brampton has been named as the government's new construction minister.

Lord Prior was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (DBEI) in December 2016, and will now take up this new role covering the infrastructure, construction, rail and maritime sectors.

A qualified barrister who previously worked as an associate at Lehman Brothers, and also as a senior executive with British Steel, Lord Prior is replacing Jesse Norman, who will focus on the energy sector.

The Federation of Master Builders has welcomed Lord Prior's appointment, stating that his appointment comes at a critical juncture in the history of the construction industry.

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. We look forward to working with the new Minister and ensuring that he understands fully the perspective of the small and micro construction firms which make up the vast bulk of our industry."