Public Affairs
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP
Overall responsibility for all Departmental issues
Departmental Budget
Departmental strategy and delivery
Legislative Programme
EU and International Relations
Emergencies
Climate Change
Common Agricultural Policy reform
Biodiversity
Environment Agency (EA) & Natural England (NE)
Minister of State (Agriculture and Food)
James Paice MP
Farming
Food
Animal health (including endemic and exotic diseases)
Responsibility and cost-sharing
Welfare of farm animals
Single Payments Scheme
Rural Development Plan for England (RDPE)
Forestry (including Forestry Commission)
Agriculture and forestry carbon budgets
Hunting and shooting
Agricultural Wages
Gangmasters Licensing
Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS)
Better regulation
Deputising for the Secretary of State at EU Agriculture Council
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Natural Environment and Fisheries)
Richard Benyon MP
Natural environment
Ecosystem services
Biodiversity
National parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty
Wildlife
JNCC (Joint Nature Conservation Committee)
Flooding and water (including Nitrates)
Inland waterways (including British Waterways)
Land management (including contaminated land) and soil
Rural Affairs
Coastal erosion
Marine and Coastal Access Act implementation
Marine Management Organisation
Coastal and wider access, countryside and rights of way
Marine Environment
Fisheries, including Common Fisheries Policy
EU Fisheries Council
Departmental administration
Apprenticeships
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Lord Henley
Environmental regulation
Air quality
Local environment quality, including noise
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
Genetically Modified Organisms
Nanotechnology
Chemicals and pesticides (including Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear substances)
Local and regional government
Localism and third sector
Climate change – adaptation
Climate change – Defra’s interest in mitigation and overall carbon budgets lead
Sustainable Development
Sustainable consumption and production
Biofuels
Welfare of companion and wild animals
Dangerous dogs
Bee health
Plant health
Kew Gardens
Science, evidence and research
Waste and recycling
Global Monitoring of Environmental Security (GMES)
All departmental business in the Lords
Deputising for the Secretary of State at EU Environment Council
