Jeremy Hunt returns to front line politics as Parliament elects new Select Committee chairs

Ex-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will return to frontline politics as chair of House of Common’s Health Select Committee.

Mr Hunt was the longest-serving health secretary between 2010 and 2016 – and faced heavy criticism for his handling of austerity and pay disputes.

After losing to Boris Johnson in the Tory leadership contest last year he returned to the backbenches, but he was among select committee chairs elected in a secret ballot.

Others had been appointed unopposed earlier in the week.

The successful candidates will officially take up their positions once the remaining Members of their Committee have been appointed by the House.

There is a select committee for every governmental department and it provides a chance for MPs to hold ministers and civil servants to account.

That is because they have the time to go into much more detail than can ever be covered in the chamber of the House of Commons and can gather evidence from experts.

Parties agree on the allocation of committees between them to make sure the chairs are a fair representation of the make-up of Parliament.

Here is the list of Select Committee Chairs in full

Ian Mearns – Backbench Business Committee*

Meg Hillier – Public Accounts Committee*

Rachel Reeves – Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy*

Robert Halfon – Education Select Committee*

Neil Parish – Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee*

Hilary Benn – Exiting the European Union Committee*

Yvette Cooper – Home Affairs Committee*

Clive Betts  – Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee*

Pete Wishart – Scottish Affairs Committee*

Mel Stride – Treasury Committee*

Kate Green – Committee on Standards*

Stephen Crabb – Welsh Affairs Committee*

Caroline Nokes – Women and Equalities Committee*

Tobias Ellwood – Defence Select Committee.

Julian Knight – Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Philip Dunne – Environmental Audit Committee

Tom Tugendhat – Foreign Affairs Select Committee

Jeremy Hunt– Health and Social Care Committee

Sarah Champion – International Development Committee

Angus Brendan McNeil – International Trade Committee

Sir Robert Neil – Justice Select Committee

Simon Hoare – Northern Ireland Affairs

Catherine McKinnell – Petitions Select Committee

Karen Bradley – Procedure Select Committee

William Wragg – Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Greg Clarke – Science and Technology Select Committee

Huw Merriman – Transport Select Committee

Stephen Timms – Works and Pensions Select Committee

*Asterisks indicate instances where the Chair was elected unopposed.