Lord Drayson has been made minister for science and innovation in Lord Mandelson’s shake up at the department for business innovation and skills.

The new department brings together the department for business, enterprise and regulatory reform, and the department for innovation, universities and skills.

Lord Drayson will be responsible for the Energy Technologies Institute, the Technology Strategy Board and low carbon economy.

The merger of the two departments comes the week after the PM’s cabinet reshuffle.

John Denham has since replaced Hazel Blears as communities and local government secretary following her resignation last week, hot on the heels of home secretary Jacqui Smith and work and pensions secretary James Purnell. John Healey has replaced housing minister Margaret Beckett, who also resigned last week.