Rendel Welcomes "Committee Of The Year" Award

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 7th Jul 2003

MPs have voted the Public Accounts Committee as "Committee of the Year", as part of the House Magazine annual parliamentary awards.

David Rendel MP is a senior member of the Committee, and has been responsible for a number of influential recommendations. For example, the Committee has sought to strengthen the powers of the utilities regulator to prevent companies unnecessarily digging up the road, and forced a £12 billion Government payout to widows who faced having their inherited SERPS entitlement halved. Both recommendations followed interventions by Mr Rendel.

Mr Rendel said:

"I am delighted that my colleagues have recognised the vital work of the Public Accounts Committee. Our job is to make sure that the public receives value for money, and to hold the Government to account for waste. The Committee is an example of how politicians really can make a difference."