The Minister for Rural Affairs is a junior position in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the British government. It is currently held by Lord Benyon, who took the office on 13 May 2021.[1]
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity | |
---|---|
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | |
Style | Minister |
Nominator | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom |
Appointer | The Monarch on advice of the Prime Minister |
Term length | At Her Majesty's pleasure |
Website | defra |
Responsibilities
The Minister's responsibilities include:
- ministerial lead for COVID-19 relating to DEFRA issues
- biosecurity strategy, including animal health and traceability
- management of endemic and exotic animal diseases, including bovine TB policy
- plant and tree health
- invasive non-native species
- food compositional standards and food labelling
- food supply, security and resilience
- rural affairs: rural productivity and connectivity, rural life opportunities (childcare, education, skills and health)
- landscape, including National Parks and AONBs
- access including rights of way and coastal paths
- lead for APHA, VMD, RBG Kew and AHWBE, and relationship with the FSA
Ministers
Name | Portrait | Term of office | Party | Title | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alun Michael | 11 June 2001 | 10 May 2005 | Labour | Minister of State for Rural Affairs | ||
Jim Knight | 6 May 2005 | 5 May 2006 | Labour | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Biodiversity, Landscape and Rural Affairs | ||
Barry Gardiner | 5 May 2006 | 28 June 2007 | Labour | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Biodiversity, Landscape and Rural Affairs | ||
Joan Ruddock | 2 July 2007 | 5 October 2008 | Labour | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Environment | ||
Dan Norris | 5 June 2009 | 11 May 2010 | Labour | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Environment[2] | ||
Richard Benyon | 6 June 2010 | 7 October 2013 | Conservative | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Natural Environment, Water and Rural Affairs | ||
Dan Rogerson | 7 October 2013 | 8 May 2015 | Liberal Democrats | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Water, Forestry, Rural Affairs and Resource Management | ||
Rory Stewart | 12 May 2015 | 13 July 2016 | Conservative | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Water, Forestry, Rural Affairs and Resource Management | ||
The Lord Gardiner of Kimble | 13 July 2016 | 10 May 2021 | Conservative | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity | ||
The Lord Benyon | 13 May 2021 | Incumbent | Conservative | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity |
References
- ^ "The Rt Hon Lord Benyon". GOV.UK. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State - Dan Norris MP (Minister for Rural Affairs and Environment)". Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 9 December 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010.