Paul Drayson, Baron Drayson

Infobox Minister
honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable
name = The Lord Drayson
honorific-suffix =

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imagesize = 150px
caption = Lord Drayson signs a memorandum (2006)
office = Minister of State for Science
term_start = 4 October 2008
term_end =
primeminister = Gordon Brown
predecessor = Ian Pearson
successor =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1960|3|5|df=yes
birth_place =
death_date =
death_place =
nationality = British
spouse =
party = Labour
relations =
children =
residence = Nether Lypiatt Manor
alma_mater = Aston University
occupation =
profession = Businessman and racing driver
religion =


website =
footnotes =

Paul Rudd Drayson, Baron Drayson (born in 1960) is a British businessman, racing driver and politician. He is currently Minister of Science in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Early life and career

After attending St Dunstan's College, Paul Drayson graduated from Aston University in Production Engineering, followed in 1985 by a PhD in robotics. From 1986 to 1991 he was Managing Director of the Lambourn Food Company.

In 1993 he co-founded PowderJect Pharmaceuticals plc in Oxford which specialised in the production of vaccines, and was Chief Executive until 2003 when PowderJect was acquired by Chiron Corp.

In May 2005 Lord Drayson replaced Lord Bach as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Procurement and as Government Spokesman for Defence to the House of Lords. Lord Drayson's responsibility for defence procurement in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is one of the most high profile jobs in the MoD. His remit includes oversight of the Defence Procurement Agency and Defence Logistics Organisation. In December 2005 Lord Drayson published a report entitled The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS). On 6 March 2007 Lord Drayson was promoted to Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support. He oversaw the new Defence Equipment and Support Organisation. [ [http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page11182.asp Lord Drayson appointed minister] ] On 29 June 2007 he also became a Minister of State in the newly created Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, combining this with his role in the Ministry of Defence. He stood down from ministerial responsibilities on 7 November 2007. His official reason for stepping down was his wish to participate in the Le Mans race, but it has been reported that the actual reasons were being left out of the loop when Prime Minister Brown decided to disband the Defence Export Services Organisation and equipment budget deficits which would make the followup to the DIS largely irrelevant. [UK DIS falls into abeyance as Drayson decides to quit, "Jane's Defence Weekly", 14 November 2007, p. 5] His job as defence procurement minister was transferred to Ann Taylor, Baroness Taylor of Bolton.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7082833.stm | title=Minister quits to race in Le Mans|publisher=BBC News|date=7 November 2007|accessdate=2007-11-07] He rejoined government as Minister of Science in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills on 3 October 2008 following a cabinet reshuffle.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7651607.stm|title=Lord Drayson takes science brief|publisher=BBC News|date=3 October 2008|accessdate=2008-10-04]

Between 2001 and 2002 he was the Chairman of the BioIndustry Association, and has been Chairman of the "Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign" since 2002. Since 2003, he has been the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Said Business School, Oxford University.

Personal life

Drayson and his wife have five children, and live between homes in London and Nether Lypiatt Manor near Stroud in Gloucestershire, purchased for £5.75million in 2006 from Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-2281154,00.html Prufrock column] , "The Sunday Times", 23 July 2006.]

Self described as a "car nut and I'm a Government minister", [ [http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/features/article2690488.ece On the move: Lord Drayson] Sunday Times - 20 October, 2007] he drives an Aston Martin Vanquish, his wife has an Aston Martin DB9, and his collection includes a Lotus Elan. He also races a bio-ethanol powered Aston Martin DBRS9 GT3-spec race car for Barwell Motorsport in the British GT Championship. He stood down as a Government minister in November 2007 to compete in the American Le Mans Series.

Controversy

In 2002 PowderJect was awarded a £32 million government smallpox vaccine contract without competition shortly after Paul Drayson donated £50,000 to the Labour Party. Following a Parliamentary enquiry no improper activity was identified.

Following his elevation to the House of Lords, made a working peer entitled Baron Drayson, of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in May 2004, he gave the Labour Party another £500,000, raising allegations that his peerage had been "bought".

References

External links

* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/04/13/npox13.xml Britain buys up stocks of smallpox vaccine - April 2002]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2002%2F04%2F14%2Fnpox14.xml Labour claims unravel over vaccine deal - April 2002]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4446978.stm The irresistible rise of 'Tony's crony' - November 2005]
* [http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/People/Ministers/MinisterOfStateForDefenceEquipmentAndSupport.htm Profile on MOD website]

succession box
before = Ian Pearson
title = Minister of State for Science
years = 2008-present
after = Incumbent