Carmichael named as select committee chairman

Alistair Carmichael MP.

Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has been confirmed as the chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee in Parliament, after being nominated unopposed.

Following the general election in July, leadership of the EFRA committee was given to the Liberal Democrats, with a chair to be drawn from Lib Dem MPs in the House of Commons.

The remit of the EFRA committee is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its associated public bodies.

Mr Carmichael said: “I am honoured to be confirmed today as the chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.

“I look forward to meeting with the EFRA committee team in the coming days and indeed with the different organisations and experts with a role to play in this sector as we begin our work.

“Whether on fishing, farming, water quality or pollution, there is no shortage of issues for the committee to tackle in the coming months.

“It will take some time for the remaining members of the committee to be appointed and our “to do” list is going to be lengthy, but I intend for us to hit the ground running.”