Greg Clark returns as chair of Commons science committee

Greg Clark has been returned as chair of the Science and Technology Select Committee in the UK’s House of Commons.

Mr Clark, a former business secretary and universities minister in the Westminster government, had chaired the committee between January 2020 and July 2022, when he stepped down to become secretary of state for levelling-up, housing and communities in the dying days of Boris Johnson’s premiership.

Having returned to the back benches after the installation of Liz Truss as prime minister, the Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells was only nominee for the post. The chairmanship of the committee is currently reserved to Conservative MPs.

Mr Clark said he was “delighted be able to resume my chairmanship of the committee”.

“From driving economic growth across the country to unlocking the power of sustainable energy, science and technology holds the key to addressing some of the UK’s most pressing policy issues. This makes the committee’s work more vital than ever,” he said.

“It is full steam ahead with the committee’s existing inquiries, where we scrutinise the government in policy areas including nuclear power, the space industry and personal health data, to name a few.

“And on Ada Lovelace Day, I want to recognise our vibrant and talented scientific community. I value the close engagement this role provides and look forward to hearing their ideas on what the committee should investigate next in our My Science Inquiry.”

chris.havergal@timeshighereducation.com