Brandon Lewis has been appointed as the new community pubs minister, replacing Bob Neill.

Lewis is the Conservative MP for Great Yarmouth and takes on the brief as part of his role as parliamentary under secretary of state in the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Neill had held responsibility for the brief since October 2010.

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: "I welcome Brandon Lewis to this post and hope to meet him soon. He has a good track record supporting small businesses.

"There has never been a greater need for a pubs champion in the Government. We will certainly be pressing the case for action on range of fronts, not least of which is for the pubs minister to champion a freeze in beer duty within the Government and to keep moving forward on cutting red tape for pubs."

Government appoints Bob Neill as new pubs minister >>

Pubs minister still committed to below cost booze sale ban >>

By Neil Gerrard

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