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, 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.
Chairs Committee chairs include those listed below.https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/24/defence-committee/membership/former/
NameStartEndPartyConstituencyConservativeShrewsburyConservativeWokingConservativeRichmond (Yorks)ConservativeSpelthorneConservativeEast HampshireConservativeUpminsterConservativeRomsey and WatersideLabourWalsall SouthConservativeNorth East HampshireConservativePenrith and The BorderConservativeNew Forest EastConservativeBournemouth EastConservativeWitneyConservativeHorshampresentLabourSlough
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. Elections are held at the beginning of a parliament or in the event of a vacancy.
ChairPartyConstituencyFirst electedMethodMichael MatesConservativeEast Hampshire1987Elected by the Select CommitteeMichael ColvinConservativeRomsey and Waterside1995Elected by the Select CommitteeBruce GeorgeLabourWalsall South16 July 1997Elected by the Select CommitteeJames ArbuthnotConservativeNorth East Hampshire13 July 2005Elected by the Select Committee(and the House of Commons in 2010)Rory StewartConservativePenrith and The Border14 May 2014Elected by the House of CommonsJulian LewisConservativeNew Forest East17 June 2015Elected by the House of CommonsTobias EllwoodConservativeBournemouth East29 January 2020Elected by the House of CommonsIndependentConservativeRobert CourtsConservativeWitney25 October 2023Elected by the House of Commons Jeremy QuinConservativeHorsham17 January 2024Elected by the House of CommonsTan DhesiLabourSlough11 September 2024Elected by the House of Commons
11 September 2024 Candidate 1st round Votes % Tan Dhesi 320 56.8 Derek Twigg 243 43.2 Valid votes 563
17 January 2024 Candidate 1st round Votes % Jeremy Quin 371 78.6 Rehman Chishti 101 21.4 Valid votes 472
25 October 2023 Candidate 1st round Votes % Robert Courts 249 57.9 Sarah Atherton 142 33.0 Mark Francois 39 9.1 Valid votes 430
29 January 2020 Candidate 1st round 2nd round 3rd round 4th round Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Tobias Ellwood 243 43.2 256 46.1 271 49.7 296 56.7 Sir Bernard Jenkin 173 30.8 183 33.0 193 35.4 226 43.3 Robert Courts 62 11.0 68 12.3 81 14.9 Eliminated Adam Holloway 45 8.0 48 8.6 Eliminated James Gray 39 6.9 Eliminated Not redistributed 7 1.2 17 3.0 40 7.1 Valid votes 562 555 545 522
12 July 2017 Candidate 1st round Votes % Julian Lewis 305 53.5 Johnny Mercer 265 46.5 Not redistributed Valid votes 570
17 June 2015 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 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 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
Membership Members are as follows: Member Party Constituency Tan Dhesi MP (chair) Labour Slough Calvin Bailey MP Labour Leyton and Wanstead Alex Baker MP Labour Aldershot Lincoln Jopp MP Conservative Spelthorne Emma Lewell MP Labour South ShieldsMike Martin MPLiberal DemocratsTunbridge Wells Jesse Norman MP Conservative Hereford and South Herefordshire Ian Roome MP Liberal Democrats North Devon Michelle Scrogham MP Labour Barrow and Furness Fred Thomas MP Labour Plymouth Moor View Derek Twigg MP Labour Widnes and Halewood
2019-2024 Parliament The chair was elected on 29 January 2020, with the members of the committee being announced on 2 March 2020.
Member Party Constituency Tobias Ellwood (chair) Conservative Bournemouth East Stuart Anderson Conservative Wolverhampton South West Sarah Atherton Conservative Wrexham Wayne David Labour Caerphilly Tan Dhesi Labour Slough Martin Docherty-Hughes Scottish National Party West Dunbartonshire Richard Drax Conservative South Dorset Mark Francois Conservative Rayleigh and Wickford Emma Lewell-Buck Labour South Shields Gavin Robinson Democratic Unionist Party Belfast East John Spellar Labour Warley
Changes 2019-2024 Date Outgoing Member& Party Constituency → New Member& Party Constituency Source11 May 2020 Wayne David MP (Labour) Caerphilly→ Kevan Jones MP (Labour) North DurhamHansard 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 KincardineHansard 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.
Member Party Constituency Julian Lewis (chair) Conservative New Forest East Leo Docherty Conservative Aldershot Martin Docherty-Hughes Scottish National Party West Dunbartonshire Mark Francois Conservative Rayleigh and Wickford Graham Jones Labour Hyndburn Johnny Mercer Conservative Plymouth Moor View Madeleine Moon Labour Bridgend Gavin Robinson Democratic Unionist Party Belfast East Ruth Smeeth Labour Stoke-on-Trent North John Spellar Labour Warley Phil Wilson Labour Sedgefield
2015–2017 Parliament The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 6 July 2015.
Member Party Constituency Julian Lewis (chair) Conservative New Forest East Richard Benyon Conservative Newbury Douglas Chapman Scottish National Party Dunfermline and West Fife James Gray Conservative North Wiltshire Johnny Mercer Conservative Plymouth Moor View Madeleine Moon Labour Bridgend Conor McGinn Labour St Helens North Jim Shannon Democratic Unionist Party Strangford Ruth Smeeth Labour Stoke-on-Trent North John Spellar Labour Warley Bob Stewart Conservative Beckenham
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.
Member Party Constituency James Arbuthnot (chair) Conservative North East Hampshire Julian Brazier Conservative Canterbury Jeffrey Donaldson Democratic Unionist Party Lagan Valley John Glen Conservative Salisbury David Hamilton Labour Midlothian Mike Hancock Liberal Democrats Portsmouth South Adam Holloway Conservative Gravesham Madeleine Moon Labour Bridgend Alison Seabeck Labour Plymouth Moor View Bob Stewart Conservative Beckenham Gisela Stuart Labour Birmingham Edgbaston John Woodcock Labour and Co-op Barrow and Furness
Changes 2010–2015 Date Outgoing Member& Party Constituency → New Member& Party Constituency Source2 November 2010 Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) Gravesham→ Penny Mordaunt MP (Conservative) Portsmouth NorthHansard 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 2014Vacant → Rory Stewart MP (chair, Conservative) Penrith and The Border Hansard3 November 2014 Julian Brazier MP (Conservative) Canterbury→ Richard Benyon MP (Conservative) NewburyHansard Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) Gravesham Julian Lewis MP (Conservative) New Forest East
See also Parliamentary committees of the United Kingdom
References
External links Official website