OXFORD MP Nicola Blackwood has been elected chairwoman of a House of Commons committee.

Miss Blackwood, who represents Oxford West and Abingdon, will head the Science and Technology Select Committee, taking over from MP Andrew Miller.

The Science and Technology Committee scrutinises Government policy to make sure its decisions are based on good scientific evidence.

It acts as a watchdog for the Government Office for Science (GO-Science), which supports the Chief Scientific Adviser.

Miss Blackwood was elected committee chairwoman by a secret Commons ballot of other MPs.

She said: “It will be a key committee in this Parliament.

“As chairwoman I want to ensure the committee is as accessible, challenging and high profile as possible.”

Since the last term of Parliament, from 2010 to 2015, secret ballots of MPs have been used as a way of reinforcing the credibility of committees.

At the end of that period, Mr Miller warned that pressing the Government on the importance of using scientific advice when developing its policy remained crucial.

He wrote: “The use of scientific research and analysis in policy-making is generally understood and practised by certain departments... however, others appear either not to appreciate its value or simply do not have the capability, experience or processes in place to utilise it.

“This remains of great concern to us.”