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


UK Politics: People in Parliament
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Bowen Wells
Conservative
Hertford & Stortford
South East
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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
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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
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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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