Robert ATKINS

AFETCommittee on Foreign Affairs
DPLCDelegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council
D-USDelegation for relations with the United States
DMEDDelegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean

PETICommittee on Petitions

• Educated at Highgate School.
• National President of Conservative Trades Unionists (1984-1987).
• MP for Preston North (1979-1983) and South Ribble (1983-1997). Secretary, Conservative Parliamentary Defence Committee (1979-1982); Vice-Chairman, Conservative Parliamentary Aviation Committee (1979-1982); Chairman, Lancashire Conservative MPs (1995-1997); Chairman, North-West Group of Conservative MPs (1996-1997). Member of the Conservative Group for Europe.
• Parliamentary private secretary to various Ministers (1982-1987). Member of Select Committee on Procedure (1995-1997). Minister for Industry and Aerospace, Department of Trade and Industry (1987-1989); Minister for Roads and Traffic, Department of Transport (1989-1990); Minister for Sport, Department of the Environment and then Department for Education (1990-1992); Minister of State, Northern Ireland (1992-1994); Minister of State, Department of the Environment (1994-1995).
• Member of the Privy Council (since 1995). Member of the European Parliament (since 1999).
• Knighted 1997. Freeman of the City of London.