Shahid Malik serves as a Minister for International Development in Gordon Brown's government. His appointment to the DfID team in June was something that Shahid described as a humbling experience.

Mr Malik joins the new ministerial team at the Department for International Development (DfID) with responsibility for helping lead the DFID's work in making poverty history.

The minister will also work on the DFID's Millennium Development Goals which range from halving global poverty and hunger to protecting the environment, improving health and sanitation and tackling illiteracy and discrimination against women.

He will also lead on the department's work with faith groups and unions; he will manage DfID's funding partnerships with the top UK aid agencies such as Oxfam, Christian Aid, WWF and VSO.

Shahid said: "I'm truly humbled to be asked to serve my country in a role which is helping change and save lives across the world. I am proud that Britain is leading the world on the fight against poverty and disease and I am looking forward to the challenges that that brings.

It is one of the greatest privileges of my life, second only to being elected by the people of Dewsbury and Mirfield as their Member of Parliament - a role which I cherish today as much as when I was first elected over two years ago."

When elected Mr Malik made a vow to open the doors of democracy
and has played host to more than 1,000 constituents, mainly schoolchildren coming down to Westminster: " I have built a strong reputation as a hardworking community focused MP and that will obviously continue but I am also committed to ensuring that Schools and young and older people alike continue to come to Parliament in the same numbers. Few thinks give me greater satisfaction than hosting events for constituents or school trips at Westminster. I'll always make time for that and I have told my diary secretary that this will take priority over any other ministerial duties."

Mr Malik continued: "Most people enter politics to change the world; I am blessed that I will now play my part in a department whose mission is nothing less than changing the world."

The Dewsbury MP was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Jim Knight as Minister of State at the Department for Education and Skills and he served on the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Environmental Audit Committee.

He held a number of roles prior to entering Parliament including Commissioner to the Northern Ireland Equality Commission and Vice-Chair of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UK [UNESCO]. The newly appointed minister was also Chair of the Urban Forum prior to entering Parliament, working to regenerate the poorest areas across England and Wales.