BELL, Sir Stuart

Member for Middlesbrough (revised boundary) since 6 May 2010, for Middlesbrough 1983-2010. Committees: Secretary, Franco-British All-Party Parliamentary Group since 2010; Member, Members Estimate Committee since 2004; Member, House of Commons Commission 2000-10; Member, Liaison Select Committee 2002-10; Member, Ecclesiastical Committee since 1997; Chairman, Finance and Services Select Committee 2000-05 and 2008-10; Chairman, British-Algerian All-Party Parliamentary Group 2006-08; Chairman, Franco-British All-Party Parliamentary Group 2005-08. Political career: Member, Speaker`s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority 2009-10; Second Church Estates Commissioner 1997-2010; Frontbench Spokesperson on Trade and Industry 1992-97; Frontbench Spokesperson on Northern Ireland 1984-87; Parliamentary Private Secretary to Rt Hon Roy Hattersley 1983-84; Member, Newcastle City Council 1980-83; Parliamentary Candidate, Hexham 1979. Special political interests: First Past the Post; European Union; foreign affairs. Profession/Trade: Barrister. Title/Honours/Decorations: France 2006, Chevalier de la Legion dHonneur; Freedom of the City of London 2003. Education: Grays Inn, London; Hookergate Grammar School, Durham. Languages spoken: French (fluent). Affiliations: Member, Fabian Society; Society of Labour Lawyers; Christian Movement; GMB. Author of: The Honoured Society (novel); Binkies Revolution (novel); Tony Really Loves Me (autobiography); Laras Theme (autobiography); Softly in the Dusk (autobiography); The Ice Cream Man and Other Stories (short stories); Pathway to the Euro (pamphlet); How to Abolish the Lords (Fabian tract); When Salem Came to the Boro (factual account of Cleveland child-abuse crisis); Raising the Standard: the case for first past the post - where Jenkins Went Wrong (pamphlet); Valuation for United States Customs Purpose (legal); Days that Used to be (novel); Paris 69 (novel); The Forward March: An Ever Closer Union (research-based analysis of European Union). Hobbies: Writing. b. 16 May 1938, Co Durham. Married with three children.