Damian Hinds, MP for East Hampshire, has returned to government with his appointment as Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice, responsible for HM prisons and the probation service.

Mr Hinds said: “I am honoured to be joining the Ministry of Justice as minister for prisons and probation.

“I’m looking forward to working with Ministry of Justice ministers and officials, and all the dedicated team at HM Prison & Probation Service.”

This will be Mr Hinds’ fifth departmental role in government since becoming an MP in 2010.

He has previously been Exchequer Secretary at the Treasury, Employment Minister at the DWP, Education Secretary and more recently Security Minister at the Home Office – a role he resigned from in the twilight of Boris Johnson’s premiership.

Mr Hinds added: “This is a new brief for me, and one that I am excited to be taking on, and being able to use experience from my previous roles in government.

“Prisons and the probation service play a vital role in our country, one that’s unseen by many, helping to keep us safe and also working with offenders to rehabilitate and get their lives on a better track.”