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Jeremy Hunt wins health role in select committee ballot | |
(about 8 hours later) | |
Ex-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has been elected to head a committee of MPs which scrutinises the performance of the NHS and government health policy. | |
Mr Hunt, who stood against Boris Johnson for the Tory leadership this summer, was the longest serving health secretary between 2010 and 2016. | |
He was among 15 select committee chairs elected in a secret ballot. | |
Other winners included Tom Tugendhat (foreign affairs), Tobias Ellwood (defence) and Julian Knight (culture). | |
And former cabinet ministers Greg Clark and Karen Bradley will head the science and procedure committees respectively. | |
A wide range of roles were up for grabs, with briefs ranging from transport to international trade. | |
There is a select committee for each governmental department, along with a few additional groups. They are made up of 11 or more members who carry out inquiries and create reports into a range of subjects. | |
They are seen as one of the most effective ways of holding ministers and civil servants to account. | They are seen as one of the most effective ways of holding ministers and civil servants to account. |
The chairs of 13 committees, including education and home affairs, have already been named as the candidates for chairman ran uncontested. | |
Wednesday's elections do not include the intelligence and security committee (ISC) - the head of which is chosen through a separate process, with nominations provided by the prime minister after consultation with the leader of the opposition. | Wednesday's elections do not include the intelligence and security committee (ISC) - the head of which is chosen through a separate process, with nominations provided by the prime minister after consultation with the leader of the opposition. |
The long-awaited Russia report - into allegations of espionage, subversion and interference in UK democracy - will not be published until a new ISC is established. The timing of the committee's reconstitution is also in the gift of the PM. | The long-awaited Russia report - into allegations of espionage, subversion and interference in UK democracy - will not be published until a new ISC is established. The timing of the committee's reconstitution is also in the gift of the PM. |
Fair representation | Fair representation |
Chairs of the committees are elected by MPs at the start of each Parliament. | Chairs of the committees are elected by MPs at the start of each Parliament. |
Parties agree on the allocation of committees between them to make sure the chairs are a fair representation of the make-up of Parliament. | Parties agree on the allocation of committees between them to make sure the chairs are a fair representation of the make-up of Parliament. |
As Mr Johnson and his Conservatives won in December with an 80-strong majority, Tory MPs will chair 17 of them. Labour will head up nine, while the SNP will lead on two. | |
The biggest competition was for chair of the defence committee, with five Tory candidates vying for the top job. | |
Ex-defence minister Mr Ellwood saw off competition from Adam Holloway, Robert Courts, James Gray and Sir Bernard Jenkin. | |
And incumbent Mr Tugendhat won the hotly contested race to head the foreign affairs committee, defeating Crispin Blunt and Bob Seely. | |
The big Labour contest was for chair of the pensions committee, with Stephen Timms seeing off Debbie Abrahams, Chris Bryant and Karen Buck. | |