REDDITCH MP Rachel Maclean has been appointed a member of the prestigious BEIS (Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy) Select Committee.

This is a cross-party group of MPs which can call inquiries into key issues, question witnesses and take evidence.

One of the jobs of the committee will be to examine some of the key challenges facing the country after Brexit.

Mrs Maclean said: “Looking at skills, how businesses access markets and how they get the workers they need and so can continue to trade successfully, is going to be a priority for businesses in Redditch and the rest of the country.

"The committee will be looking at industrial strategy, which is critically important for us in the West Midlands region, as we are strongly dependent on manufacturing.

“Energy prices and stability over the long term, including nuclear energy post-Brexit and the European organisations we are part of, including Euratom (The European Atomic Energy Community) will all continue to be important topics to discuss.

“I’m hugely delighted and honoured to be appointed onto this committee which is one of the important Select Committees in the House of Commons. This area represents a fascinating challenge as technology advances and more people work from home or look to work differently."