Defra said yesterday (13 May) Lord Benyon will replace outgoing Defra minister Lord John Gardiner, who will become senior deputy speaker in the House of Lords.
His portfolio will be decided “in due course”.
Lord Benyon is a Conservative politician and previously worked as wildlife minister at Defra under David Cameron’s government from May 2010 to October 2013.
In the 2005 general election, he was elected as MP for Newbury, Berkshire, before standing down in 2019. He was one of 21 Conservative ‘rebels’ who had the whip removed in September 2019 for voting against the government over Brexit, but this was later restored. He stood down shortly after.
In December 2020 he was conferred a life peerage after being put forward by Boris Johnson.
‘Privilege’
Lord Benyon commented: “It’s both a privilege and a pleasure to be returning to Defra as a Minister in the House of Lords. I have fond memories from my time as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State.
“It’s both a privilege and a pleasure to be returning to Defra as a Minister in the House of Lords”
“From the flagship Environment Bill and tackling climate change to helping our farmers through the agricultural transition and supporting our fishing industry, Defra is at the heart of this Government’s work to build back greener. It’s an exciting time to be back at Defra.”
He added that he looks forward to working with Defra as its tackles “some of the greatest challenges of our time”.
‘Passion’
The Environment Secretary George Eustice welcomed the appointment of Lord Benyon, praising his “passion and dedication” for environmental causes.
Mr 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.”
The secretary also extended congratulations to Lord Gardiner on his election.
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