Laura Moffatt, MP for Crawley, has been appointed as Deputy Regional Minister for the South East. Laura has resigned as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Health to take up her new role in the Government Office of the South East working alongside Jonathan Shaw, MP.

"I am really delighted to accept this important new role," said Laura. "The South East is an exceptionally successful region and generates an enormous amount of business for the British economy.

"As a South East MP for the past 11 years I have had a great deal of involvement with our local business community, particularly in the crucial Gatwick Diamond area, and I am very much looking forward to extending that involvement across our region.

"The PM's decision to create these new regional ministers assistant posts shows the importance both he and the Government place on regional representation at central Government level and I am sure we all welcome that.

"The regional ministers meet as the Council of Regional Ministers to advise the National Economic Council and they are co-ordinated through the Cabinet Office - right at the centre of Government.

"It is a real privilege for me to have this level of involvement in our region and I look forward to working closely in supporting my colleague Jonathan Shaw MP to ensure that the south east of England continues to be well represented at Westminster."