Olivia Bailey Elected Chair of Equalities Committee

Olivia Bailey, MP for Reading West and Mid Berkshire, has been elected chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, the Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has announced.

She takes up the role with immediate effect and will serve until the end of the Parliament.

"A key part of my role will be holding the Government to account for its commitments and making sure that promises translate into meaningful change in people's lives.

"I'm proud to take on this role, and I'll carry the voices and experiences of people across Reading West and Mid Berkshire with me."

Three candidates were nominated for the role, triggering an election between Ms Bailey, Anneliese Dodds and Preet Kaur Gill.

The Women and Equalities Committee, first appointed by the House of Commons in June 2015, examines the policy, administration and expenditure of the Office for Equality and Opportunity and the wider Equality Hub in the Cabinet Office, and holds the Government to account on cross-departmental work in relation to equality policy and law, including the Equality Act 2010 and relevant international equality commitments. It also scrutinises the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Social Mobility Commission.

The committee is made up of 11 backbench MPs representing Labour, Liberal Democrats and Conservative parties, plus an Independent MP.

The committee fills "a gap" in previous accountability arrangements - the Minister for Women and Equalities and the Office for Equality and Opportunity will now be held to account by a select committee for the Government's performance on equalities (sex, age, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, marriage or civil partnership status) issues.

The committee joins more than 30 Parliaments worldwide with dedicated equalities committees.

Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter