Dan Byles to serve on Energy and Climate Change Select Committee

Dan Byles MP has been elected by fellow MPs to serve on the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee. This prestigious committee of 14 MPs oversees the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department of Energy and Climate Change in order to hold the department to account.

The Energy and Climate Change Select Committee meets on Wednesday mornings in the Houses of Parliament - the meetings are open to the press and to the public.

Dan's presence on the Select Committee reflects the new rules that ensure committee members are elected rather than appointed to the role. Previously, such a position was reserved for senior MPs.

Speaking after the announcement, the former soldier and MP for North Warwickshire Dan Byles said, "It is a real privilege to have been elected to serve on the Energy & Climate Change Select Committee.

"I feel very strongly that we need reduce our dependence on imported energy, much of which comes from some of the world's most unstable regions.

"I believe we need a diversified energy base which includes nuclear power, a greater use of liquefied natural gas, and we need more research into the use of dependable and predictable renewable sources such as tidal power. Carbon capture and 'clean coal' technologies also have the potential to allow us to make use of our large domestic coal reserves.

"And the UK has dangerously low levels of gas storage compared with other European countries, something which the last government did precious little to address.

"I intend to hold the Department for Energy & Climate Change firmly to account for how it deals with these serious strategic issues."