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Jonathan Evans was a rising star in the last Conservative Government and there has been some surprise that as one of the few Tory MPs with ministerial experience he was overlooked by David Cameron after May's election victory.

Instead, he has busied himself reviving the Tories' Parliamentary Mainstream group in the Commons - a group that "seeks to extend the appeal of the Conservative Party so that it commands the ground occupied by the broad mass of the British People."

But could he be one of the few MPs who would be disappointed to get a call from Downing Street in the next Cabinet reshuffle?

For the Cardiff North MP currently earns more per month than the Prime Minister, thanks to his business interests outside Parliament. The lists monthly payments of £12,500 (gross) for his work as non-executive chairman of Phoenix Life Holdings Limited and Pearl Group Holdings (No.2) Limited and of their UK subsidiary companies.

This role takes 20 hours of his time each month, an hourly rate of £625. This reflects his expertise as an insurance lawyer. "My role is to ensure these companies are in accordance with the Financial Services Authority," he said.

The £12,500 gross (on top of his MP's salary of £65,000) is rather less than he earned as chairman of the Phoenix Group (formerly Pearl Group) before his election to Parliament last May.

From next month he will be confining his work to chairing the subsidiary companies - at a reduced rate.

Readers of the will be aware that Mr Evans is not the highest-paid MP although the former Welsh Office Minister will presumably be coping with life on the backbenchers rather better than most.

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