Meg Hillier elected chair of Public Accounts Committee

Hackney South and Shoreditch MP Meg Hillier is the new chair of the Public Accounts Committee

Hillier, who served as a Home Office minister from 2007 to 2010, emerged victorious from a contest with fellow Labour MPs Helen Goodman, David Hanson and Gisela Stuart.

In her candidate statement for the post, Hillier pledged to focus on proper accountability of local services, particularly in the NHS and education, and also proposed that the committee undertake more pre-legislative scrutiny of large projects on a value-for-money basis.

Speaking after the announcement, Hillier said she was "delighted to have the opportunity to continue to challenge the government and public service providers and to press for more efficient and effective services for users".

She added: "I believe in pressing for efficiency and accountability in public spending and an effective, active and hard-working Public Accounts Committee is vital for providing this. I look forward to continuing the committee’s important work in holding the government to account.”

Other MPs elected as committee chairs today include former welfare reform minister Frank Field, who will chair the work and pensions committee chair following Dame Anne Begg’s defeat in the general election.

Dr Sarah Wollaston, who chaired the health select committee at the end of the last parliament, will continue in the post, having beat fellow Conservative MP David Tredinnick in the vote.

Former local government minister Bob Neill will chair the justice select committee, while Conservative MP Neil Carmichael will chair the education select committee. Graham Stuart, former chair of the education committee, decided to stand to chair the culture select committee, although he lost out to fellow Conservative MP Jesse Norman.

Labour’s Keith Vaz will once again chair the home affairs after winning the vote against Fiona Mactaggart, while Labour’s Stephen Twigg won the vote to chair the international development committee.

A number of committee chairs were appointed after there was only one nominee for the posts, which are divided up to reflect the strength of parties in the House of Commons.

These included Clive Betts, who will continue as the chair of the communities and local government select committee, and Andrew Tyrie, who will remain in charge of the Treasury committee.

The full list of select committee chairs is as follows: