Wishesh Magazine September-2019 Wishesh Magazine September-2019 | Page 42

NRI PROFILE are treated and Sharma has been critical of the banks for mis-selling products to customers. Sharma was a vice-chairman of Conservative Party from 2012 to 2015 and in 2014 as served as a co-Chairman of Conservative Friends of India. 42 Sharma was appointed as a Parliamentary Private Secretary in September 2011, to the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Mark Hoban MP. During his tenure as a Parliamentary Private Secretary, Sharma sat on a number of public bill committees including two finance bills, the 2013 Banking Reform Bill and the 2011 Pensions Bill. He as well served as PPS to the former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster - Sir Oliver Letwin, who had overall responsibility for the Cabinet Office. In 2016, Sharma was appointed as the Prime Minister’s “Infrastructure Envoy to India”. Sharma was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from July 2016 to June 2017. Housing Minister Sharma was appointed as the Minister of State for Housing in June 2017 succeeding Gavin Barwell who lost his seat in 2017 general election. As the Housing Minister, Sharma was accountable for the Government’s response to the Grenfell Tower fire. He drew in media attention when he was visibly moved while making a statement to the House of Commons on 5 July 2017. WWW.WISHESH.NET | SEPTEMBER 2019