A HAMPSHIRE MP has been given a new government role and will be working alongside Boris Johnson's ministerial team.

MP for Eastleigh Mims Davies has been appointed as parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Work and Pensions.

The minister’s new responsibilities will include determining pensioner benefits, the new state pension, winter fuel payments and pension credits.

Appointed to the role earlier yesterday Mims will be involved with pension regulators and developing policy.

In a statement published on Twitter, Mims said: "I am delighted to be confirmed in my new government role by prime minister Boris Johnson alongside a great ministerial team led by Amber Rudd.

"I am really pleased with the vote of confidence to move to a challenging but vital and uplifting department. I am looking forward to delivering."

She previously served as parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from November 2018 until taking on her current role.

Nigel Adams will be taking on responsibility for sport from Mims, but it is unclear if he is also taking her civil society brief.

Davies tweeted her congratulations and changed her Twitter biography to say she was the former minister for sport, but has made no reference to the civil society part of her role and has not responded publicly when asked about it on Twitter.

Despite her new role, Mims was recently slammed by critics for failing to give a simple "yes" or "no" answer during a radio interview.

She was asked 15 times by journalist and interviewer Emma Barnett whether she backs the sugar tax during a BBC Radio 5 Live appearance earlier in July.

The MP failed to give a clear response throughout the five-minute interview and instead claims she "supports people making healthy choices" and "if the sugar tax changes it changes".

The criticism came after Boris Johnson suggested a review of the of "unhealthy food taxes"

Mr Johnson had said he wants to examine whether levies on foods high in salt, fat and sugar are effective, and has vowed not to introduce any new ones until the review is complete.

The tax on drinks came into force in April 2018, and a wider levy on all unhealthy foods is being considered to help tackle obesity.