Short Biography

He was first elected to Parliament in 1987.

 

He was Minister for Science and Technology at the Department of Trade and Industry (1994-97). He now chairs the Conservative Party's Policy Task-force on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

 

In the House of Commons, he is Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee; co-Chairman of the Parliamentary Space Committee; Vice President of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee; a Board Member of the Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology; Director of EURIM (European Information Society Group); and Vice Chairman of PITCOM (Parliamentary Information and Technology Committee) and of the Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility .

 

He is a member of the IPPR Commission on National Security. He is also Chairman of the Conservative Europe Group and of the Cuba Initiative.

 

Prior to entering Parliament, Ian had 18 years experience of providing corporate finance and management advice to companies in the UK, France and USA. He now is a non-executive of or adviser to several companies mainly in the technology, security and investment sectors.