Alun Michael has been named as the new minister responsible for e-commerce.
He replaces the previous e-minister, Mike O'Brien, who has moved to the role of Solicitor General.
A spokesman for the Department for Productivity, Energy and Industry — previously the Department of Trade and Industry — told ZDNet UK sister site silicon.com that ecommerce will come under Michael's role as minister for industry and the regions.
Michael was previously minister of state for rural affairs from 2001. He is best know for being responsible for steering the fox hunting legislation through parliament in the face of stiff opposition from the pro-hunt lobby.
He has been MP for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987 and, before entering parliament, was a youth and community worker. He held his seat in the General Election earlier this month with 47 percent of the vote.
Before the election, industry group Intellect called on the Prime Minister to appoint an IT minister who would focus entirely on technology — a plea which appears to have been ignored.
Talkback
This appointment gives me absolutely no confidence that the government has any clue about industry. Appointing someone whose sole claim to fame seems to be driving through the fox-hunting ban - which 90% of people I suspect cared less about - and wasted an inordinate amount of time in government when they should have been considering important issues on the economy, makes one wonder what the selection criteria for these appointments are. The only consolation is that the government will now be hoist on its own petard regarding the mess they have made of the economy - a few chickens now coming home to roost thanks to the fox-hunting ban perhaps.