Rt Hon Kevin Barron MP
Chair, Health Select Committee
Kevin was educated at Maltby Hall Secondary School and began his working life as an underground electrician at Maltby Colliery. After studying social sciences at Sheffield University on a day release course he went on to Ruskin College, Oxford, as a mature student. He was elected as member of Parliament for the Rother Valley in 1983 when the constituency was divided into two.
From 1983-5 he was a Member of the House of Commons Select Committee on Energy, and then from 1985-88 he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Leader of the Labour Party, Rt Hon Neil Kinnock MP.
From 1988-92 he was Shadow Minister for Energy, and then from 1992-93 he served as a Member of the House of Commons Select Committee on the Environment. From 1993-95 he was Shadow Employment Minister.
In 1993 & 94 he originated the Private Members' Bill to ban the advertising and promotion of tobacco products. From October 1995 – April 97, he served as Shadow Health Minister. From May 1997 – January 2002, he was Chair of the PLP Health Committee
In May 1997 Kevin was appointed member of the Intelligence and Security Committee, and in August 2001 he was appointed to the Privy Council.
Since 2005, Kevin has chaired the Health Select Committee, and has been a member of the Liaison Committee, and the Standards and Privileges Committee.
Kevin is also Chair of: the All Party Group on the Pharmaceutical Industry; the All Party Group on Smoking and Health; the All Party British/Bulgarian Group; the All Party Film Group; the All Party Connecting Communities; and the All Party Earth Sciences Group.