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New Commons committee heads announced | |
(35 minutes later) | |
The chairmen of the House of Commons select committees have been announced, following a secret ballot of MPs. | |
Keith Vaz remains as Home Affairs Committee chairman, Frank Field takes on Work and Pensions, while Labour MP Meg Hillier assumes the helm of the influential Public Accounts Committee. | |
Twelve of the 27 committee chairmen had already been elected unopposed. | |
The roles have been divided up between the political parties based on the results of the general election. | The roles have been divided up between the political parties based on the results of the general election. |
Speaker John Bercow announced the results to MPs during Thursday's Commons business, informing the House that 621 members took part in the internal elections. | |
The results are as follow: | |
Chairmen are elected using an "alternative vote" system, under which MPs rank their favourites in order of preference, with the first to get more than 50% of votes going through. | Chairmen are elected using an "alternative vote" system, under which MPs rank their favourites in order of preference, with the first to get more than 50% of votes going through. |
Some, like Public Accounts and Backbench Business, are reserved to the Opposition, but the rest are parcelled out in proportion to the parties' strength. | Some, like Public Accounts and Backbench Business, are reserved to the Opposition, but the rest are parcelled out in proportion to the parties' strength. |
With the Conservatives now running a majority government, they take on the chairmanship of the Justice Committee, previously held by Lib Dem veteran Sir Alan Beith. | With the Conservatives now running a majority government, they take on the chairmanship of the Justice Committee, previously held by Lib Dem veteran Sir Alan Beith. |
Meanwhile, the SNP - which is now the third largest party in the Commons - has been handed the Scottish Affairs and Energy and Climate Change. | Meanwhile, the SNP - which is now the third largest party in the Commons - has been handed the Scottish Affairs and Energy and Climate Change. |
Committee chairmen receive extra pay on top of their MP's salaries for doing the job. | Committee chairmen receive extra pay on top of their MP's salaries for doing the job. |
Here is the list of the committee chairmen who have been re-elected unopposed: | Here is the list of the committee chairmen who have been re-elected unopposed: |