NORTH Wiltshire MP James Gray has been appointed to the Joint Committee in National Security Strategy.

The Joint Committee in National Security Strategy is the Parliamentary Committee consisting of Members of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, and was established to scrutinise the work of the National Security Council and National Security Adviser.

Mr Gray, a former Shadow Defence Minister holds a number of defence-related positions and was appointed to his new role yesterday (Wednesday, November 1).

After seven years’ service in Army Reserve in the Honourable Artillery Company, he is Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Armed Forces and of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Trust.

He is also patron of Operation Christmas Box, which distributes boxes to service personnel on operations overseas on Christmas Day.

Mr Gray, said: “I am delighted that having served for a number of years on the House of Commons Defence Select Committee, I have now been appointed to the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy, and reappointed to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.