As Business Secretary, John Hutton will have the final say over whether BSkyB is forced to sell all, or part, of its stake in ITV.

The Competition Commission, which yesterday said that BSkyB’s stake was “against the public interest”, has until January 2 to present Mr Hutton with its recommendations on remedying the situation.

Although the Commission can, following negotiations with BSkyB and its lawyers, recommend a range of sanctions, it has already indicated that it prefers a partial sale to reduce BSkyB’s holding to just below 10 or 15 per cent.

However, the Commission can only make recommendations, and Mr Hutton can choose to ignore them in favour of his own remedies.

Given the Competition Commission’s expertise in this area it is thought unlikely Mr Hutton would go against its advice, although, as a former senior lecturer in law at the University of Northumbria, he may have other ideas.

Whatever he decides, experts said that Mr Hutton is likely to order the remedies to be carried out within six months, although the deadline could be extended for up to a year.

Analysts said that the situation is likely to require sensitive handling because it is so unusual.

Contrary to most Competition Commission investigations, neither of the parties in this case has announced their intention to pursue a full takeover or merger.

Mr Hutton became the first Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in June following the creation of the new Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Before that, he was Work and Pensions Secretary – a role he took in November 2005 after David Blunkett’s second resignation from the Government.

Mr Hutton, 57, took his first Cabinet post, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, in May 2005. His other posts have included serving as a health minister with responsibility for social care, and as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Margaret Beckett while she was Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Leader of the House of Commons.

His political interests include legal affairs, defence and home affairs and the welfare state, while outside of work he enjoys football, cricket, films, music and history. Mr Hutton is also a trustee of Furness Animal Refuge.

Educated at Westcliffe High School and Magdalen College, Oxford, Mr Hutton has three sons and one daughter. He married Heather Rogers in 2004.

In addition to his Cabinet duties, Mr Hutton is MP for Barrow and Furness in Cumbria.