Committees

Nominations open for Science, Innovation and Technology Committee Chair

3 September 2024

MPs have begun the process of electing a Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee in the new Parliament.

The Speaker announced the timetable for the elections on July 30. The period of nominations will run until 4pm on Monday 9 September, with the ballot scheduled for Wednesday 11 September.

The new Chair will be elected from the Labour party under the allocation of committee chairs to political parties which was agreed by the House on 30 July 2024.  

Since 2010, most committee chairs have been elected by the whole House, by a system of alternative vote and by secret ballot. To be valid, nominations must contain a signed statement made by the candidate declaring their willingness to stand.

It must be accompanied by the signatures of 15 MPs elected to the Commons as members of the same political party as the candidate (or 10 per cent of the MPs elected to the House as members of that party, whichever is the lower). More than 15 signatures can be collected but only the first 15 valid signatures are printed. Members may only nominate one candidate per select committee.

Nominations may be accompanied by the signatures of up to five MPs elected to the House as members of any party other than to which the chair is allocated or of no party. Similarly, only five such signatures are printed.

Candidates must declare any relevant interests with their nomination. Valid nominations received each day are published with the next day's Order Paper and will be listed below.

Nominations

Candidate: Dawn Butler

Supporters (own party): Danny Beales, Natasha Irons, Sojan Joseph, Andy Slaughter, Olivia Blake, Kim Johnson, Mrs Sharon Hodgson, Nadia Whittome, Sarah Champion, Janet Daby, Tulip Siddiq, Uma Kumaran, Peter Prinsley, Florence Eshalomi, Yuan Yang

Supporters (other parties or no party): Liz Saville Roberts, Bob Blackman, Layla Moran, David Davis, Greg Smith

Relevant interests declared: None

Supporting statement:

I am seeking your support to become the Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee (DSIT).

I was first elected in 2005, making history as the first female African-Caribbean government minister in the House of Commons, so I know what good government looks like and how to achieve it. A committee chair must be forensic, tough and ask questions others might be afraid to ask, and that is what I am committed to do.

I started my career as a computer programmer, I am passionate about science and technology having been an active Committee member since 2020.

Committees are an essential part of Parliament, holding vital evidence session resulting in important reviews and reports, our Committee has often led the way, producing UK’s first report into COVID pandemic jointly with the Health and Social Care Committee. Also, the impact of AI, cybersecurity, biodiversity and much more.

As Chair my objective will be to ensure the best decisions are made by government, backed up by technology and science. I am an innovator and coder by background and have always been at the forefront of innovation in Parliament whether as a Government minister, member of the Modernisation Committee, or creating the independent complaints procedures, and now as a member of DSIT Committee.

Some issues I hope to scrutinise as Chair:

  • AI, data harvesting, mis and disinformation. The industry cannot regulate itself. We will present evidence to Government to improve legislation. 
  • Our ability as a country to pursue individualised care like microbes and phages by ensuring we have the facilities, such as saving The Rosalind Franklin Lab. The UK cannot be a science superpower unless we acquire a massive increase in laboratory space. Government invested over £1bn in that lab, so why did it end up on Rightmove?
  • The role politics & Parliament plays in development and progression of science.

As Chair I’ll pride myself in working extremely well cross-party and would bring strong leadership, as well as a unique perspective as a Black woman, whose first job was a computer programmer. Important industry experience especially when raising issues like bias within AI algorithms and datasets in black box.

I’m honoured to receive support from outgoing Committee Chair, Greg Clark:

"Dawn was an excellent colleague on the Science & Technology Committee throughout the last Parliament as we tackled big issues such as the Covid pandemic, the governance of AI and nuclear power as well as cross-cutting themes such as diversity and inclusion in STEM. Dawn brought her experience as a former professional coder to the Committee, as well as her commitment to holding to account those in power and influence. Throughout these years Dawn worked warmly and effectively MPs of all the parties represented: her friendship and contribution was valued by all members."

Carol Monaghan SNP:

“As a former computer programmer, Dawn regularly displayed her technical expertise with her natural ability to analyse scientific information and glean responses that would otherwise have been missed”

PLEASE VOTE DAWN BUTLER FOR DSIT CHAIR

Candidate: Chi Onwurah

Supporters (own party): Bill Esterson, Debbie Abrahams, Andrew Pakes, Markus Campbell-Savours, David Smith, Chris McDonald, Samantha Niblett, Ruth Cadbury, Steve Yemm, Wes Streeting, Karl Turner, Lola McEvoy, Mary Kelly Foy, Mr Clive Betts, Emma Foody

Supporters (other parties or no party): Dr Caroline Johnson, Mims Davies, Sir Julian Lewis, Sir John Hayes, Ian Roome

Relevant interests declared: Chartered Engineer; Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology; Fellow of City and Guilds of London Institute; Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association

Supporting statement:

This is a period of huge change in science and technology, from AI to breakthrough treatments, creating massive opportunities to transform our constituents’ lives for the better. To deliver on this potential we need to ask the right questions of government, work in partnership with our country’s outstanding scientists, and be bold in responding to challenges. If elected Chair, I will do just that.

I have deep roots in STEM and would bring decades of experience to this role. I entered Parliament in 2010 as the only Chartered Engineer MP. Before that, I oversaw our nation's digital transformation as Head of Technology at Ofcom, after spending 17 years working all over the world in the private sector, designing and building telecom systems to drive growth.

As an MP, I have shadowed science ministers for eleven of the last fourteen years, giving me a unique opportunity to explore the challenges and opportunities of science and technology. Only one sitting member – the inimitable MP for Strangford – has raised STEM issues in Parliament more than I have since 2010. I know the UK’s R&D landscape well, allowing me to hit the ground running as the new Committee Chair.

I am an experienced APPG Chair and would lead a strong and inclusive Committee where all Members are encouraged and supported. I’ve been fortunate to speak to many members from across the House in this election campaign, and I pledge to be a visible and approachable Committee Chair.

As Chair, my priorities would be:

First, during the General Election the link between, and importance of, science, innovation and growth was recognised by all the major parties. This would be a priority for the committee under my leadership.

Second would be neglected or underperforming areas of scientific policy, such as diversity in STEM and research reproducibility. This would include areas which cross departments and are thereby liable to fall through the cracks, such as R&D priorities for Biological Sciences.

Third would be the scrutiny of aspects of science, innovation and technology policy that are key to the public interest. I would work with committee members and members across the House to establish public interest priorities, but the link between social media algorithms and disinformation would seem to be one such example.

I would work with members of the Committee, and with the support of the Committee clerks to develop a constructive programme of work, building on the past work of the Committee, that encompasses these priorities.

The situation we face as a country requires that we understand critical national resources, such as our scientific and engineering capabilities, as a common resource which all of us can participate in and benefit from.

My work in Parliament over the last 14 years has convinced me that the House can come together to help achieve this in the interests of the nation, bringing the achievements of British science to a wider audience. 

Further information  

Image credit: House of Commons