New Defra Secretary of State
Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for Environment.
Caroline Spelman said: “I am delighted to have been appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The department is responsible for many of the things that are vital to our quality of life - the food we eat, the air we breathe and how we manage the land we live on and the seas that surround our shores.
“I will work across government and beyond to respond to the challenges of increasing food production, adapting to climate change, protecting our natural environment and ensuring we live sustainably.”
In other areas, MP Jim Paice has taken up the post of Minister of State for Farming and Food. He comes from strong agricultural roots including a successful career in farm management as well as working in a number of guises for agriculture both in government and opposition.
In welcoming the new minister to his post, NFU President Peter Kendall said: “The new minister will be familiar to farmers and growers right across England and Wales for his strong connections to farming. I look forward to working with Jim Paice in promoting this exciting and vibrant industry and ensuring that productive farming is at the heart of Defra’s agenda.
“The NFU’s manifesto was all about creating an environment in which farming businesses could thrive. We have argued that the next government, in the face of growing demand and dwindling resources, should work hard to secure adequate investment for agricultural science research and development to ensure we are able to deliver solutions to the problems facing us in the 21st century; we need to increase food production while decreasing agriculture’s environmental footprint. I am really pleased to see that the Conservative’s ‘A New Age for Agriculture; echoes these aspirations.
“On the same note and turning to more immediate issues, the Conservative pledge to ensure greater accountability and renewed focus in the Rural Payments Agency, and in particular their commitment to appointing the Minister for Farming as chairman of the RPA’s management board, has got to be good news. Farmers and growers will be pleased to hear there is a strong will to improve the operation of the agency. With the RPA’s current re-mapping exercise threatening the delivery of early 2010 payments these improvements cannot come too quickly.”
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has also welcomed the new Ministerial appointments, and urged them to recognise their collective role in reviving the rural economy. The Association said great challenges lie ahead but this is a golden opportunity for the new Government to do what is best for the countryside.
As well as welcoming Caroline Spelman and promoting Defra’s portfolio as “an absolutely vital one for the rural economy and for Britain's economy as a whole”, the President of the CLA also welcomed Richard Benyon as Under Secretary of State at Defra, Chris Huhne as Energy and Climate Change Secretary of State and Eric Pickles Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
"We look forward to working with the new Government to identify where land managers can play their part in mitigating climate change, and in helping to reform a planning system which needs a massive overhaul if rural businesses are to be allowed to grow."
He added: "The new Government must recognise that so much of what it does outside the Defra portfolio also has an impact on the rural economy. Every new department needs to take account of the needs of the rural economy, and grasp this opportunity to help develop a countryside which is truly sustainable in terms of fulfilling its economic, social and environmental potential."
Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.
