[4] His departmental responsibilities included Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Northern Ireland Office (NIO).

He was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in May 2018, continuing to act as Lord Commissioner to HM Treasury alongside his ministerial duties.

He contested the marginal Rossendale and Darwen seat at the 2005 general election, coming second with a swing to the Conservatives of 1.9% compared to the 3.1% average they achieved nationally.

[9] In January 2016, the Labour Party unsuccessfully proposed an amendment in Parliament that would have required private landlords to make their homes "fit for human habitation".

According to Parliament's register of interests, Adams was one of 72 Conservative MPs who voted against the amendment who personally derived an income from renting out property.

The Conservative Government had responded to the amendment that they believed homes should be fit for human habitation but did not want to pass the new law that would explicitly require it.

In January 2015, Adams introduced the Onshore wind subsidies (abolition) bill to Parliament which passed to the next stage following a close vote.

[citation needed] Until June 2017, Adams was Chairman of the All Party Group for Music and in November 2015 he instigated several Parliamentary debates on the difficulties facing UK musicians accessing visas for touring the US.

These have included as an Assistant Government Whip on two occasions (June 2017 to January 2018, November 2018 to April 2019), Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales and Minister for Sport, Media and Creative Industries.

[19] On 5 September 2022, following the election of Liz Truss as Leader of the Conservative Party, Adams resigned his position as Minister of State without Portfolio.

[citation needed] Adams announced his intention to "stand down" as a Member of Parliament on 10 June 2023, following the resignations of former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson and Nadine Dorries MP.

[20] On 12 June 2023 the Chancellor of the Exchequer appointed Adams Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, a procedural device which allows an MP to resign from the House of Commons.