Nine new Conservative select committee appointments

By Jonathan Isaby

Following the recent appointment of a number of Conservative MPs as Parliamentary Private Secretaries to ministers, vacancies arose on the select committees on which they had been serving (since PPSs do not serve on select committees).

As a result, new elections were held among Conservative backbenchers to fill those vacancies and the following MPs have been successfully elected to serve on the committees:

• Business, Innovation and Skills: Simon Kirby
• Defence: Penny Mordaunt (pictured)
• Education: Neil Carmichael
• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Richard Drax
• Home Affairs: James Clappison
• Justice: Esther McVey
• Political and Constitutional Affairs: Andrew Griffiths (pictured)
• Transport: Steve Baker
• Welsh Affairs: Stuart Andrew

I reliably hear that a second raft of PPSs is set to be appointed imminently from among the ranks of the new intake. More news as soon as I have it.