First ever secret vote for Welsh Assembly committee chairs

Assembly members have voted for the first time to decide who leads some of the body's influential committees.

There were secret ballots for five positions, with Dai Lloyd of Plaid Cymru elected health committee chair.

Labour's Lynne Neagle will lead the education committee and Conservative Russell George the economy committee.

Conservative AM Nick Ramsay will chair the public accounts committee, scrutinising spending by public bodies.

AMs agreed on Tuesday which party the chairs for each committee would come from, with a Labour AM chairing six of the committees, Plaid Cymru three, the Conservatives two and UKIP one.

Only five of 13 of the assembly's committee chairs were contested. In seven other cases, only one AM was nominated and so there was no ballot.

Scrutiny of the First Minister Committee will be chaired by Ann Jones - the position comes with the job of being deputy presiding officer.

The results of the ballots were:

• Children, young people and education committee: Labour Torfaen AM Lynne Neagle, elected by 31 votes, beating Julie Morgan's 25

• Economy, infrastructure and skills committee: Montgomeryshire Tory AM Russell George - elected by 41 votes, beating Aberconwy AM Janet Finch-Saunders' 13

• Equality, local government and communities committee: Labour Newport East AM John Griffiths, elected by 33 votes to 13 for Llanelli AM Lee Waters and nine for Cardiff Central AM Jenny Rathbone

• Health, social care and sport committee: Plaid South Wales West AM Dai Lloyd, who was elected by 43 votes to 13 for Ynys Mon AM Rhun ap Iorwerth

• Public accounts committee: Monmouth Tory AM Nick Ramsay, elected 31 votes to 17 for Clwyd West AM Darran Millar and seven for North Wales Tory AM Mark Isherwood

Those who have been appointed unopposed were:

• Climate change, environment and rural affairs committee: UKIP South Wales East AM Mark Reckless

• Culture, welsh language and communications committee: Plaid South Wales West AM Bethan Jenkins

• Constitutional and legislative affairs committee: Labour Ogmore AM Huw Irranca-Davies

• Finance committee: Plaid Mid and West Wales AM Simon Thomas

• Petitions committee: Labour Swansea East Mike Hedges

• Reserve policy and legislation committee: Labour Aberavon AM David Rees

• Standards of conduct committee: Labour Newport West AM Jayne Bryant

The committees were divided among the parties based on the number of AMs they have.