BUSINESS Secretary Sajid Javid has been announced as a full member of the Prime Minister's National Security Council (NSC).
The council was set up by David Cameron as the main forum for discussion between senior ministers and security agency chiefs of the Government's objectives for national security.
Members of the cabinet attend as well as Chief of Defence Staff General, Sir Nick Houghton, MI5 director general Andrew Parker, MI6 chief Alex Younger, and Foreign Office permanent secretary Sir Simon Fraser.
Mr Javid's predecessor, Liberal Democrat Vince Cable, was not a full member - though he attended NSC meetings regularly when issues relating to his department were under discussion.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said that the addition of the Business Secretary to the line-up of members reflected Mr Cameron's determination to underline "the close relationship between economic security and wider national security".
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here