DISGRACED former Kent MP and cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken, who was jailed for perjury, is to lead a study into prison reform for a social policy group.

According to a national newspaper report Mr Aitken will head a task force for Iain Duncan Smith's Centre for Social Justice, which gives advice to Tory leader David Cameron issues.

His role will be to chair a high-powered group of criminal justice experts that will examine the crisis in Britain's prisons.

The former Thanet South MP was sent to prison in 1999 for lying during a libel action which he had left the Cabinet to fight.

He resigned as chief secretary to the Treasury in 1995 so he could sue The Guardian newspaper.

Mr Aitken served almost seven months of his 18-month sentence before being released in January 2000.

He told The Observer newspaper: "It is an assignment well worth taking extremely seriously.

"This isn't an ego trip for me. This is a job to be done. I have a very good team who I think will help to do it well."