Tuesday, July 28, 1998 Published at 21:49 GMT 22:49 UK


UK Politics: People in Parliament
 

		Bowen Wells Conservative   Hertford & Stortford South East
Personal Details Date of Birth - August 4, 1935 Spouse - Rennie Children - Two sons Education St Paul's School, Barnes Exeter University Regent Street Polytechnic School of Management Previous Occupation(s) Sub-Lieutenant, RNVR, National Service 1954-56 School Master, Colet Court, London 1956-57 Trainee, British Aluminium Company 1957-58 Senior Executive, Commonwealth Development Corporation 1961-74 Owner and Manager, Substation Group Services Ltd 1974-79 Political Career MP for Hertford and Stevenage 1979-83 MP for Hertford and Stortford 1983- Executive, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association PPS to Earl Caithness, Roger Freeman (Transport Ministers) 1992-94 Assistant Whip 1994-95 Government Whip 1995-97

 

Chairman of the Select Committee on International Development. A Tory internatonalist with a specialist knowledge of the Caribbean, having worked for the Commonwealth Development Corporation before he became an MP. A government whip for three years before taking over the ID Committee. Served on the Foreign Affairs and European Legislation Select Committees, and was PPS to Roger Freeman (Transport) and the Earl of Caithness (Aviation and Shipping). He beat Shirley Williams to win Hertford and Stevenage in 1979. Opposed expansion of Stansted Airport. He was a strong supporter of UNESCO, urging that Britain resume its membership, and took a leftish view on social matters such as unemployment and the poll tax. Political profile by Peter Hill.

General Election of May 1, 1997

Wells, Bowen (Con)	24,027	44.0%
Speller, Simon (Lab)	17,142	31.4%
Wood, Michael (LD)	9,679	17.7%
Page Croft, Hugo (Ref)	2,105	3.9%
Smalley, Bryan (UKIP)	1,233	2.3%
other parties	385	0.7%

 
Majority
6,885
 
Swing
13.5% swing from Conservative to Labour
 
Biography

Born in Isleworth, Middlesex, Bowen Wells was educated at St. Pauls School, Exeter University (BA Hons. Political History and Government) and the Regent Street Polytechnic (Diploma in Business Management).

Mr. Wells' National Service was in the Royal Navy (1954-56), attaining the rank of Sub-Lieutenant. He is a former senior executive in the Commonwealth Development Corporation.

Bowen Wells was first elected as a Conservative Member of Parliament in 1979 after defeating Shirley Williams in the Hertford and Stevenage Constituency. He has been Member for Hertford and Stortford since 1983 following boundary changes.

Mr. Wells has been a member of the British-American Parliamentary Group since 1986, a Trustee of the Industry and Parliament Trust since 1985 and an Executive Member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association since 1984. He is currently International Treasurer of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

He was a member of the European Legislation Select Committee 1983-1992 and the Foreign Affairs Select Committee 1981-1992. He was Chairman of the United Nations Parliamentary Group 1983-1992 and was Joint Secretary of the All Party Group on Overseas Development 1984-1994. He is a member and former Chairman, of the British Caribbean Parliamentary Group and an Executive member of the 1922 Committee.

Bowen Wells was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Employment 1982-83, Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Ministers of Public Transport and Aviation and Shipping 1992-1994, and a Government Whip 1994-1997. He has been the Chairman of the International Development Select Committee since May 1997.

Special interests include International Development and Foreign Affairs.

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