Background
ATKINS, Robert James was born on February 5, 1946. Parents: the late Reginald Alfred Atkins.
Minister of State Northern Ireland Office
ATKINS, Robert James was born on February 5, 1946. Parents: the late Reginald Alfred Atkins.
He was educated at Highgate School, then an all-boys independent school in Highgate, London.
Chairman. Hornsey Young Conservatives, 1967-1969. Vice-Chairman, Hornsey Conservative Association, 1967-1969. Councillor, London Borough of Haringey, 1968-1976.
Vice-Chairman, Greater London Young Conservatives, 1969-1970, 1971-1972. Parly, candidate, 1974. Chairman, Haringey for Europe Campaign, 1975.
Member of Parliament, since 1979. Parliamentary Private Secretary to Norman Lamont. 1982-1984; Parliamentary Private Secretary to Lord Young, 1984-1987.
National President, Conservative Trades Unionists, 1984-1987. President North West Area Conservative Trades Unionists. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, 1987-1989, Minister for Roads and Traffic, since 1989.
Member, European Movement. Member. Conservative Group for Europe. Minister for Sport, July 1990-1992.
Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, since 1992. Marine Insurance Broker, Lloyd’s. Sales exec., IBM (UK) Ltd.
Sales exec. Rank Xerox (UK) Ltd.
Church of England
48th United Kingdom Parliament. 49th United Kingdom Parliament. 50th United Kingdom Parliament.
51st United Kingdom Parliament]
He was the Member of Parliament for Preston North from 1979 to 1983, and then for South Ribble from 1983 to 1997.
He served as Member of the European Parliament for the North West England region from 1999 to 2014. After unsuccessfully fighting the new seat of Luton West in February and October 1974, he was elected the Member of Parliament for Preston North from 1979 to 1983, and for South Ribble from 1983 to 1997.
He was made a member of the Privy Council in 1995 and was a minister in the following positions:
He later became a Member of the European Parliament for the North West England region in 1999. Atkins was knighted in the 1997 Dissolution List in recognition of his service as a Member of Parliament, as Minister of State for Northern Ireland and as Minister of State for the Environment.
He was Conservative Spokesman on Industry and External Trade from 2001–2004, and was Spokesman on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism from 1999-2001.) He is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Transport & Tourism Committee.
Spouse Dulcie Mary Atkins (née Chaplin), 1969. Children: one son, one d.