DUP reshuffles Stormont chairs

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Three DUP MPs have been replaced as Stormont committee chairs as the party continues moves to end double jobbing.

Strangford MP Iris Robinson, wife of party leader Peter Robinson, will be replaced as chair of the Health Committee by South Down MLA Jim Wells.

On the Agriculture Committee, South Antrim MP William McCrea will be replaced by Ian Paisley Jr.

Strangford MLA Simon Hamilton takes over from Upper Bann MP David Simpson on the Social Development Committee.

Announcing the changes, Mr Robinson said he was looking forward to "all our new post holders setting about the business of holding ministers from those departments to account".

Mr Robinson reshuffled his Stormont ministerial team on Monday following the party's worst European election results since 1979.

The DUP won one of the three European parliament seats in Northern Ireland, with Mr Dodds' wife Diane elected as the party's new MEP.

However, the party lost votes to the TUV, dropping from a 32% first preference vote share in the 2004 European poll to 18.2% this year.