Former Tory government minister and journalist Aubrey Jones has died at the age of 91.

Mr Jones, who lived in Westhampnett, near Chichester, was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, on November 20, 1911.

He went on to study at the London School of Economics.

He joined The Times in 1937 and remained with the newspaper until 1948.

From 1939 to 1946 he carried out war service as a member of the foreign and editorial staffs.

During the war, while working in Army Intelligence, he served in the War Office and in the Mediterranean from 1940 to 1946.

In 1949 he joined the British Iron and Steel Federation and the following year was elected Unionist MP for Hall Green, Birmingham.

He became Parliamentary private secretary to the Minister of State for Economic Affairs in 1952 and to the minister of materials in 1953.

He was appointed general director of the Iron and Steel Federation in 1955 but interrupted his business career to take up an appointment as minister of fuel and power, later the minister of supply until October 1959. He was appointed a Privy Councillor in 1955.

In his business career he held many titles, including director of Courtaulds Ltd, director of Guest Keen & Nettlefolds Steel and chairman of Cornhill Insurance.

Mr Jones, who married Joan Godfrey-Isaacs in 1948 and had two sons, wrote three books about politics and industry.

Mr Jones died on April 10.