Former Chairman John Denham quit the role on the 28th June after he was offered a place in Gordon Brown’s ministerial office as Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
Keith Vaz has been MP for Leicester East since June 1987 and a member of the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee since 2003. A pro-European, Vaz strongly supported the war in Iraq and is in favour of compulsory ID cards.
Before taking on the role, Mr Vaz had to declare his interests as required by the Resolution of the House of 13 July 1992.
Vaz, the first-ever Asian minister in the Commons, confirmed that he was a non-practising barrister, and that his wife was a solicitor and part-time judge.
