FORMER Bury South MP Alistair Burt has become a second parliamentary private secretary to Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith.

The Tory politician, now MP for North East Bedfordshire, was promoted as part of a mini-reshuffle in the wake of the Queen's Speech. It means Mr Burt -- a shadow minister for education and skills and a former social security minister under John Major -- will be one of Duncan-Smith's closest MPs in the House of Commons.

He had lost his seat in the 1997 Labour landslide.

The shadow front bench was rearranged to take into account the future legislation laid out by the Government.

The changes see a boost to the Tories' health and defence teams, reacting to the Government's plans for foundation hospitals and in anticipation of a war on Iraq.

Mr Duncan Smith said: "This Queen's Speech has a lot of legislation. We are keen to get to work exposing the fact that it is a lot of rhetoric but very little delivery.

"I am pleased that Alistair Burt will be joining me in the leader's office. He has years of ministerial experience and his appointment will improve communication among all colleagues."