The Defence Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, having been established in 1979. It examines the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Ministry of Defence and its associated public bodies,[1] including the British Armed Forces. The Committee's remit does not generally review Defence Intelligence which instead falls under the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.[2]
Membership
As of January 2024, the members of the committee are as follows:[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
Member | Party | Constituency |
| Jeremy Quin (Chair)[11] | Conservative | Horsham |
| Sarah Atherton | Conservative | Wrexham |
| Martin Docherty-Hughes | Scottish National Party | West Dunbartonshire |
| Richard Drax | Conservative | South Dorset |
| Mark Francois | Conservative | Rayleigh and Wickford |
| Kevan Jones | Labour | North Durham |
| Emma Lewell-Buck | Labour | South Shields |
| Jesse Norman | Conservative | Hereford and South Herefordshire |
| Gavin Robinson | Democratic Unionist Party | Belfast East |
| John Spellar | Labour | Warley |
| Derek Twigg | Labour | Halton |
Changes since 2019
Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
11 May 2020 | | Wayne David MP (Labour) | Caerphilly | → | | Kevan Jones MP (Labour) | North Durham | Hansard |
Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP (Labour) | Slough | Derek Twigg MP (Labour) | Halton |
5 January 2022 | | Martin Docherty-Hughes MP (SNP) | West Dunbartonshire | → | | Dave Doogan MP (SNP) | Angus | Hansard |
25 October 2022 | | Stuart Anderson MP (Conservative) | Wolverhampton South West | → | | Andrew Bowie MP (Conservative) | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | Hansard |
Sarah Atherton MP (Conservative) | Wrexham | Robert Courts MP (Conservative) | Witney |
8 November 2022 | | Andrew Bowie MP (Conservative) | West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | → | | Sarah Atherton MP (Conservative) | Wrexham | Hansard |
12 September 2023 | | Dave Doogan MP (SNP) | Angus | → | | Martin Docherty-Hughes MP (SNP) | West Dunbartonshire | Hansard |
14 September 2023 | | Tobias Ellwood MP (Chair, Conservative) | Bournemouth East | → | Vacant | Hansard |
25 October 2023 | Vacant | → | | Robert Courts MP (Chair, Conservative) | Witney | Hansard |
| Robert Courts MP (Conservative) | Witney | → | Vacant |
11 December 2023 | Vacant | → | | Jesse Norman MP (Conservative) | Hereford and South Herefordshire | Hansard |
12 December 2023 | | Robert Courts MP (Chair, Conservative) | Witney | → | Vacant | Hansard |
17 January 2024 | Vacant | → | | Jeremy Quin MP (Chair, Conservative) | Horsham | Hansard |
2017–2019 Parliament
The chair was elected on 12 July 2017, with the members of the committee being announced on 11 September 2017.[12][13]
2015–2017 Parliament
The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 6 July 2015.[14][15]
Changes 2015–2017
Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
26 October 2015 | | Conor McGinn MP (Labour) | St Helens North | → | | Phil Wilson MP (Labour) | Sedgefield | Hansard |
31 October 2016 | | Richard Benyon MP (Conservative) | Newbury | → | | Jack Lopresti MP (Conservative) | Filton and Bradley Stoke | Hansard |
5 December 2016 | | Jim Shannon MP (DUP) | Strangford | → | | Gavin Robinson MP (DUP) | Belfast East | Hansard |
2010–2015 Parliament
The chair was elected on 10 June 2010, with members being announced on 12 July 2010.[16][17]
Changes 2010–2015
Date | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | Constituency | Source |
2 November 2010 | | Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) | Gravesham | → | | Penny Mordaunt MP (Conservative) | Portsmouth North | Hansard |
| David Hamilton MP (Labour) | Midlothian | | Thomas Docherty MP (Labour) | Dunfermline and West Fife |
Alison Seabeck MP (Labour) | Plymouth Moor View | Dai Havard MP (Labour) | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney |
John Woodcock MP (Labour and Co-op) | Barrow and Furness | Sandra Osborne MP (Labour) | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock |
24 October 2011 | | Mike Hancock MP (Liberal Democrats) | Portsmouth South | → | | Bob Russell MP (Liberal Democrats) | Colchester | Hansard |
5 November 2012 | | John Glen MP (Conservative) | Salisbury | → | | Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) | Gravesham | Hansard |
10 June 2013 | | Sandra Osborne MP (Labour) | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | → | | Derek Twigg MP (Labour) | Halton | Hansard |
4 November 2013 | | Penny Mordaunt MP (Conservative) | Portsmouth North | → | | James Gray MP (Conservative) | North Wiltshire | Hansard |
25 November 2013 | | Thomas Docherty MP (Labour) | Dunfermline and West Fife | → | | John Woodcock MP (Labour and Co-op) | Barrow and Furness | Hansard |
28 April 2014 | | James Arbuthnot MP (Chair, Conservative) | North East Hampshire | → | Vacant | Hansard |
14 May 2014 | Vacant | → | | Rory Stewart MP (Chair, Conservative) | Penrith and The Border | Hansard |
3 November 2014 | | Julian Brazier MP (Conservative) | Canterbury | → | | Richard Benyon MP (Conservative) | Newbury | Hansard |
Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) | Gravesham | Julian Lewis MP (Conservative) | New Forest East |
Chair of the Defence Select Committee
Chair | Party | Constituency | First elected | Method |
| Michael Mates | Conservative | East Hampshire | 1987 | Elected by the Select Committee |
| Michael Colvin | Conservative | Romsey and Waterside | 1995 | Elected by the Select Committee |
| Bruce George | Labour | Walsall South | 16 July 1997 | Elected by the Select Committee |
| James Arbuthnot | Conservative | North East Hampshire | 13 July 2005 | Elected by the Select Committee (and the House of Commons in 2010) |
| Rory Stewart | Conservative | Penrith and The Border | 14 May 2014 | Elected by the House of Commons |
| Julian Lewis | Conservative | New Forest East | 17 June 2015 | Elected by the House of Commons |
| Tobias Ellwood | Conservative | Bournemouth East | 29 January 2020 | Elected by the House of Commons |
| Independent |
| Conservative |
| Robert Courts | Conservative | Witney | 25 October 2023 | Elected by the House of Commons |
| Jeremy Quin | Conservative | Horsham | 17 January 2024 | Elected by the House of Commons |
Election results
From June 2010 chairs of select committees have been directly elected by a secret ballot of the whole House of Commons using the alternative vote system. Candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated and their votes redistributed until one remaining candidate has more than half of valid votes.[18] Elections are held at the beginning of a parliament or in the event of a vacancy.[19]
12 July 2017[23] |
Candidate | 1st round |
Votes | % |
| Julian Lewis | 305 | 53.5 |
| Johnny Mercer | 265 | 46.5 |
Not redistributed | | |
Valid votes | 570 | |
17 June 2015[24] |
Candidate | 1st round | 2nd round |
Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Julian Lewis | 260 | 44.1 | 314 | 56.5 |
| Richard Benyon | 208 | 35.3 | 242 | 43.5 |
| Bob Stewart | 121 | 20.5 | Eliminated |
Not redistributed | | | 33 | 5.6 |
Valid votes | 589 | | 556 | |
14 May 2014[25] |
Candidate | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | 4th round | 5th round | 6th round | 7th round |
Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Rory Stewart | 113 | 23.6 | 115 | 24.1 | 122 | 25.7 | 139 | 29.3 | 149 | 31.9 | 179 | 39.3 | 226 | 51.6 |
| Julian Lewis | 124 | 25.9 | 128 | 26.8 | 131 | 27.6 | 138 | 29.1 | 156 | 33.4 | 165 | 36.2 | 212 | 48.4 |
| Julian Brazier | 68 | 14.2 | 71 | 14.9 | 71 | 14.9 | 77 | 16.2 | 90 | 19.3 | 112 | 24.6 | Eliminated |
| Keith Simpson | 48 | 10.0 | 48 | 10.1 | 51 | 10.7 | 61 | 12.8 | 72 | 15.4 | Eliminated |
| Bob Stewart | 52 | 10.9 | 54 | 11.3 | 56 | 11.8 | 60 | 12.6 | Eliminated |
| Crispin Blunt | 44 | 9.2 | 44 | 9.2 | 44 | 9.3 | Eliminated |
| Tobias Ellwood | 17 | 3.5 | 17 | 3.6 | Eliminated |
| James Gray | 13 | 2.7 | Eliminated |
Not redistributed | | | 2 | 0.4 | 4 | 0.8 | 4 | 0.8 | 12 | 2.5 | 23 | 4.8 | 41 | 8.6 |
Valid votes | 479 | | 477 | | 475 | | 475 | | 467 | | 456 | | 438 | |
9 June 2010[26] |
Candidate | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round |
Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| James Arbuthnot | 210 | 36.6 | 236 | 42.4 | 273 | 52.7 |
| Patrick Mercer | 176 | 30.7 | 189 | 33.9 | 245 | 47.3 |
| Julian Lewis | 115 | 20.1 | 132 | 23.7 | Eliminated |
| Douglas Carswell | 72 | 12.6 | Eliminated |
Not redistributed | | | 16 | 2.8 | 55 | 9.6 |
Valid votes | 573 | | 557 | | 518 | |
See also
References
- ^ "Defence Committee". parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
The Defence Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Ministry of Defence and its associated public bodies.
- ^ "Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament". gov.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
The ISC oversees the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of MI5, MI6, GCHQ, Defence Intelligence, the Joint Intelligence Organisation, the National Security Secretariat (NSS) and Homeland Security Group.
- ^ "Tobias Ellwood is the new Chair of the Defence Committee". UK parliament. London. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Calendar of Business 2 March 2020". publications.parliament.uk. UK parliament. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
That Stuart Anderson, Sarah Atherton, Wayne David, Richard Drax, Mr Tanmmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Mr Mark Francois, Martin Docherty-Hughes, Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck, Gavin Robinson and John Spellar be members of the Defence Committee.
- ^ "Votes and Proceedings Monday 11 May 2020". parliament.uk. UK House of Commons. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
That Wayne David and Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi be discharged from the Defence Committee and Mr Kevan Jones and Derek Twigg be added
- ^ "Committees Volume 706: debated on Wednesday 5 January 2022". hansard.parliament.uk. UK Hansard. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
Defence That Martin Docherty-Hughes be discharged from the Defence Committee and Dave Doogan be added.
- ^ Norris, Miranda (19 October 2022). "Witney MP Robert Courts elected to Defence Select Committee". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "Committees Volume 722: debated on Tuesday 8 November 2022". hansard.parliament.uk. UK Hansard. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
That Andrew Bowie be discharged from the Defence Committee and Sarah Atherton be added.
- ^ "Committees Volume 737: debated on Tuesday 12 September 2023". hansard.parliament.uk. UK Hansard. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
That Dave Doogan be discharged from the Defence Committee and Martin Docherty-Hughes be added.
- ^ "Business without Debate Volume 742: debated on Monday 11 December 2023". hansard.parliament.uk. UK Hansard. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
That Jesse Norman be added to the Defence Committee
- ^ "Sir Jeremy Quin elected as Defence Committee Chair". parliament.uk. 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "Speaker's Statement: Select Committee Chairs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 627. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 12 July 2017.
- ^ "Business without Debate". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 628. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 11 September 2017.
- ^ "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 597. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 18 June 2015.
- ^ "Committees". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 598. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 8 July 2015.
- ^ "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 511. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 10 June 2010.
- ^ "Committees". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 513. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 12 July 2010.
- ^ "Standing Orders of the House of Commons". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ Priddy, Sarah. "Chairs of Commons select committees since 2010". Researchbriefings.parliament.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ "Defence Committee Chair Election - Result Sheet" (PDF). Parliament.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "ELECTION FOR CHAIR OF DEFENCE SELECT COMMITTEES: RESULT" (PDF). Parliament.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ "ELECTION FOR CHAIRS OF SELECT COMMITTEES: RESULT" (PDF). Parliament.uk. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ^ "ELECTION FOR CHAIRS OF SELECT COMMITTEES: RESULT" (PDF). Parliament.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ "ELECTION FOR CHAIRS OF SELECT COMMITTEES: RESULT" (PDF). Parliament.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ "ELECTION FOR CHAIRS OF SELECT COMMITTEES: RESULT" (PDF). Parliament.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ "ELECTION FOR CHAIRS OF SELECT COMMITTEES: RESULT" (PDF). Parliament.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
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