Lord Benyon Appointed as Defra Minister

Lord Richard Benyon has been appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defra. He will replace outgoing Defra minister Lord Gardiner, who will become Senior Deputy Speaker in the House of Lords.

Lord Benyon has previously served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Natural Environment, Water and Rural Affairs from May 2010 to October 2013, and as Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2009 to 2010.

Lord Benyon’s portfolio will be confirmed in due course.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said:

I am pleased to welcome Richard back to Defra. He brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and passion for the environment, developed during his previous experience as a Defra Minister and during his work as Chair of our review in to Highly Protected Marine Areas.

I look forward to working with him during this truly exciting time for Defra, with the Environment Bill returning to parliament, our agricultural reforms now starting to take root and the government leading the world on protecting nature and tackling climate change. Richard will be invaluable as we continue our ambitious work to ensure we leave our natural environment in a better state for future generations…