Rt Hon Norman Lamb, MP for North Norfolk, has been elected as the next chair of the Science and Technology Committee, succeeding Stephen Metcalfe MP.

Lamb was elected chair of the committee on Wednesday 12th July, following a vote by MPs.

Rt Hon Norman Lamb MP (photo credit: libdems.org.uk)

Norman Lamb responded to the announcement saying: "I am delighted to have been elected Chair of the Science and Technology Committee.

“The Committee will have a crucial role to play in addressing how science and innovation drive the development of our economy and our society.

“There are issues around the position of science and innovation in the Industrial Strategy, from the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence to the promise of new treatments in healthcare.

“I hope that the Committee will also hold the Government to account on its approach to Brexit, to ensure that the needs of our world-class science and research centres are at its heart.

“It will be an enormous privilege to work with colleagues on the Committee, and within the wider science and technology community, to tackle these important issues."

Dr Mark Downs CSci FRSB congratulated Lamb on his successful election: “We would like to offer our congratulations to Norman Lamb, and warmly welcome his ambition to ensure that the needs of our world class science and research centres are crucially addressed in the approach to Brexit.

“We look forward to working with Norman Lamb and the Science and Technology Committee in the future; scrutiny, discussion and presentation of evidence to government and Parliament are critical as we endeavour to ensure that UK science remains world leading.”

Dr Downs also thanked the former Chair Stephen Metcalfe: “Stephen Metcalfe MP showed great commitment to his position in the last Parliament.

“He has worked energetically as Chair, and we were pleased to work alongside him to help foster and strengthen invaluable connections between the biosciences community and Parliament, and we thank him for his dedication and support to this endeavour.”

Norman Lamb was previously Minister of State for Care and Support in the Department of Health (September 2012 to May 2015), and Minister of State for Employment Relations in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (February to September 2012).