Rt Hon Sir Oliver Heald QC

The Prime Minister, the Rt Hon David Cameron MP, appointed Mr Oliver Heald, QC, MP for North East Hertfordshire, to be Solicitor General on 4 September 2012.

Oliver Heald has served as Member of Parliament for North East Hertfordshire since 1992, holding a number of frontbench positions and select committee roles.
Born in Reading, Oliver Heald studied law at Pembroke College, Cambridge and practiced as a barrister for 20 years before his election to Parliament. He served as a minister in the Department of Social Security from 1995 to 1997, where he dealt with pension issues and introduced legislation to provide greater powers to benefit fraud investigators. His briefs in opposition included Home Affairs, Health, Work and Pensions, Constitutional Affairs and Shadow Leader of the House.

Between 2007 and his appointment as Solicitor General, he has been a member of select committees including Work and Pensions, the Committee on Standards in Public Life and the House of Commons Standards and Privileges Committee.

He is also a member of the UK Delegation to the Council of Europe. He is 57, married with three children.