Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake has been promoted in the Prime Minister’s mini-reshuffle this week.

Mr Hollinrake is now a Minister of State, a step up on the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State he became in the Department for Business and Trade in October 2022.

The MP said: “It’s a slightly higher rank of minister, just below cabinet minister. My brief hasn’t changed at all. The areas and sectors are the same.”

He remains Small Business Minister as well as Post Office Minister, handling the controversial issue of compensation payments to postmasters and mistresses wrongly convicted of fraud.

“There’s still much to do. I’m focussed on getting the job done. We are making progress,” he said.

Some 78 per cent of claims made have received a full and final settlement, but there remains 22 per cent to do. And since the ITV drama Mr Bates v The Post Office was shown in January, 1200 claims have come in.

Mr Hollinrake explained: “People also can’t make a claim unless their conviction is overturned. Legislation is due by July to overturn the convictions. As soon as August we can start paying significant amounts of compensation.”

The promotion and mini-reshuffle was sparked by the resignation of two ministers, Education Minister Robert Halfon and Armed Forces Minister James Heappey. They add to recent turmoil affecting the government.

“He’s got the toughest job in the world,” said Mr Hollinrake of PM Rishi Sunak, who he backed in the Tory leadership battles of 2022.

“I do think it would be ludicrous to think a change of leader would solve our problems.”