DAVID BURROWES, MP

David Burrowes was elected as Member of Parliament (Conservative) in May 2005 and is Shadow Minister for Justice. He is particularly interested in the policy areas of drugs and alcohol, the criminal justice system, family policy, international human rights and the voluntary sector.

David was deputy chairman of the Conservative Social Justice Policy Group's Addictions Working Party. This group explored issues surrounding drug and alcohol addiction, taking evidence from those who work in the field of addiction treatment or who have been addicts themselves and published its report as part of the Social Justice Policy review for the Conservative Party in July 2007.

David was also secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Drugs Misuse Group 2006 and vice-chair of the People with Complex Needs and Dual Diagnosis APPG.

Before being elected to Parliament, he worked as a solicitor specialising in criminal law and was an advocate in police stations and courts in Enfield, Haringey and Hertfordshire.

In 1994, he was elected as the youngest councillor in the London Borough of Enfield representing Trent Ward. During the next eight years David held positions in the Conservative Group as Lead Member on Corporate Services and Education. In 2002, he was elected to represent Winchmore Hill Ward and became Cabinet Member for Voluntary and Community Development.

Since becoming a MP, David has been a member of the Public Administration Select Committee and served on Select Committees looking at Bills such as the Armed Forces Bill, the Draft Legal Services Bill, the Legal Services Bill itself, the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill and the Draft Tissues and Embryos Bill.