Those new Liberal Democrat committee co-chairs in full

Several new Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee co-chairs have been appointed by Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg.

Paul Burstow has also been elected as chair of the parliamentary party. The former chair Lorely Burt stood down after being appointed as parliamentary private secretary to Danny Alexander.

The new appointments in the House of Commons are:

• Gordon Birtwistle - Business, Innovation and Skills
• Mike Crockart - Energy and Climate Change
• Julian Huppert - Home Affairs, Justice and Equalities
• John Leech - Culture, Media and Sport
• Greg Mulholland - Work and Pensions
• Alan Reid - Transport
• Mark Williams - Wales
• Roger Williams - Food and Rural Affairs
• John Thurso - Constitutional and Political Reform in addition to the role he holds for the Scotland committee.

The new appointments in the House of Lords are:

• Lord (Jonathan) Marks of Henley on Thames - Justice
• Lord (Monroe) Palmer of Childs Hill - Defence
• Lord (Mike) Storey - Education
• Lord (Martin) Thomas of Gresford - Wales

Thanks to the East Midlands Lib Dems site, which has the full list of Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee Co-Chairs.

Alan Reid welcomes exoneration of Mull of Kintyre pilots

Liam Fox, the defence secretary, apologised in the Commons today to the families of two RAF pilots originally blamed for the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash.

Two RAF air marshals had accused Flight Lieutenants Jonathan Tapper and Richard Cook of gross negligence over the crash on the Mull of Kintyre in which they died  along with 27 other people. Many of the passengers were among Britain's leading anti-terrorism experts.

The apology came after a fresh review found that Tapper and Cook should not have been blamed and the earlier ruling has now been set aside.

Alan Reid, Lib Dem MP for Argyll and Bute, has welcomed the setting aside of the original verdict:

"So many people – friends and family of the pilots, my predecessor Ray Michie, and others – campaigned for many years to overturn the original verdict which found the two young pilots, who died doing their duty, guilty of gross negligence.

"This review is long overdue. Where the previous Labour government stalled and obstructed, the Coalition Government has ensured that justice has been done.

"I hope that today’s report and conclusions will help many people to put this horrible accident behind them and I join them in remembering and paying tribute to all those who passed away on that disastrous day.”

The setting up of the new inquiry was announced by Nick Clegg when he took prime minister's questions on 8 September 2010.