Ecommerce brief up for grabs as e-minister gets DTI job

The high-tech industry has welcomed the promotion of former ecommerce minister Patricia Hewitt to the top post at the Department of Trade and Industry, taking over from Stephen Byers.

The Prime Minister is expected to announce a replacement ecommerce minister at any time, although according to some sources Hewitt has been campaigning internally to keep the ecommerce portfolio with her, ruling out the need for a new junior minister.

Hewitt was widely tipped for a Cabinet role, but the Trade and Industry portfolio was expected to go to Lord Gus Macdonald as one of Labour's few commercially experienced MPs.

Philip Flaxton, executive director of Interforum, welcomed Hewitt's appointment, praising her commercial awareness. "This will be good for the business community at large," he said.

Despite being given a rough ride over RIP and IR35, Hewitt successfully saw the Ecommerce Bill through parliament and has pushed for an overhaul of the civil service approach to e-government.

The promotion of a tech savvy Secretary of State will be seen as a victory for the technology industry, after campaigners pushed for more recognition for the industry from Tony Blair.

Flaxton said: "Now she can take the ecommerce brief into the Cabinet, and present first hand the areas of concern."

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