maff defra crofting centrica interconnector hvdc firmus cabinetoffice.gov.uk cefas concordat fera openfield unnos cafre harrabin haughley countryfile ecogen enserve arla eglu perenco afren enrc qserv wavegen britned murco narec eustice
who are defra and what do they do
Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs - wikipedia Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs Jump to : navigation , search Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs <Td_colspan="2"> <Td_colspan="2"> <Th_colspan="2"> Department overview Formed 2001 ; 16 years ago ( 2001 ) Preceding agencies Ministry of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food Department of the Environment , Transport and the Regions Jurisdiction United Kingdom Headquarters Nobel House , 17 Smith Square , London 51 ° 29 ′ 44 '' N 0 ° 07 ′ 34 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 51.49556 ° N 0.12611 ° W ﻿ / 51.49556 ; - 0.12611 Annual budget £ 2.2 billion ( current ) & £ 400 million ( capital ) for 2011 - 12 Minister responsible Michael Gove , Secretary of State for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs Department executive Clare Moriarty , Permanent Secretary Child agencies Animal and Plant Health Agency Centre for Environment , Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Rural Payments Agency Veterinary Medicines Directorate Website defra.gov.uk The Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra ) is the government department responsible for environmental protection , food production and standards , agriculture , fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . Concordats set out agreed frameworks for co operation , between it and the Scottish Government , Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive , which have devolved responsibilities for these matters in their respective nations . Defra also leads for Britain at the EU on agricultural , fisheries and environment matters and in other international negotiations on sustainable development and climate change , although a new Department of Energy and Climate Change was created on 3 October 2008 to take over the last responsibility . Contents ( hide ) 1 Creation 2 Ministers 3 Responsibilities 4 Executive agencies 5 Key delivery partners 6 Defra in the English regions 7 Aim and strategic priorities 8 See also 9 References 10 External links 10.1 Video clips Creation ( edit ) It was formed in June 2001 , under the leadership of Margaret Beckett , when the Ministry of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food ( MAFF ) was merged with part of the Department of Environment , Transport and the Regions ( DETR ) and with a small part of the Home Office . The department was created after the perceived failure of MAFF , to deal adequately with an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease . The Department had about 9,000 core personnel , as of January 2008 . The Department 's main building is Nobel House on Smith Square , SW1 . In October 2008 , the climate team at Defra was merged with the energy team from the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform ( BERR ) , to create the Department of Energy and Climate Change , then headed by Ed Miliband . Ministers ( edit ) The Defra Ministers are as follows : Minister Rank Portfolio The Rt Hon . Michael Gove MP Secretary of State Strategy and overall responsibility for departmental policy ; Budget and finances ; Legislative programme ; Emergencies ; EU and international relations ; Environment Agency and Natural England George Eustice MP Minister of State for Farming , Food and the Marine Environment Food and farming , animal health and welfare , marine and fisheries , science and innovation , better regulation , lead responsibility for the Rural Payments Agency , FERA , Cefas and the Animal and Plant Health Agency , deputy for the Secretary of State on Agriculture and Fisheries Council Therese Coffey MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities Natural environment , floods and water , resource and environmental management , rural affairs , lead responsibility for the Environment Agency , Natural England and the Forestry Commission , deputy for the Secretary of State on Environment Council Lord Gardiner of Kimble Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs Biosecurity strategy , commercial projects , landscape , climate change adaptation The Permanent Secretary is Clare Moriarty . Shadow ministers portfolios can differ from government departments therefore overlap . Responsibilities ( edit ) Defra is responsible for British Government policy in the following areas Adaptation to global warming Agriculture Air quality Animal health and animal welfare Biodiversity Conservation Chemical substances and pesticides Fisheries Flooding Food Forestry Hunting Inland waterways Land management Marine policy National parks Noise Plant health Rural development Sustainable development Waste management Water management Some policies apply to England alone due to devolution , while others are not devolved and therefore apply to Britain as a whole . Executive agencies ( edit ) The department 's executive agencies are : Animal and Plant Health Agency ( formerly the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency , formed by a merger of Animal Health and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency , and later parts of the Food and Environment Research Agency . Animal Health had launched on 2 April 2007 and was formerly the State Veterinary Service ) Centre for Environment , Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Rural Payments Agency Veterinary Medicines Directorate Key delivery partners ( edit ) The department 's key delivery partners are : Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Consumer Council for Water Environment Agency Fera Science ( formerly the Food and Environment Research Agency , now a company in which DEFRA holds a 25 % stake ) Forestry Commission ( a non-ministerial government department including Forest Enterprise and Forest Research ) Joint Nature Conservation Committee Marine Management Organisation ( launched on 1 April 2010 , incorporates the former Marine and Fisheries Agency ) National Forest Company Natural England ( launched on 11 October 2006 , formerly English Nature and elements of the Countryside Agency and the Rural Development Service ) Ofwat ( a non-ministerial government department formally known as the Water Services Regulation Authority ) Royal Botanic Gardens , Kew Sea Fish Industry Authority A full list of departmental delivery and public bodies may be found on the Defra website . Defra in the English regions ( edit ) A Countryside Stewardship Scheme sign near a new stile a Cratfield , Suffolk Policies for environment , food and rural affairs are delivered in the regions by Defra 's executive agencies and delivery bodies , in particular Natural England , the Rural Payments Agency , Animal Health and the Marine Management Organisation . Defra provides grant aid to the following flood and coastal erosion risk management operating authorities : Environment Agency Internal drainage boards Local authorities Aim and strategic priorities ( edit ) Defra 's overarching aim is sustainable development , which is defined as `` development which enables all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations . '' The Secretary of State wrote in a letter to the Prime Minister that he saw Defra 's mission as enabling a move toward what the World Wide Fund for Nature ( WWF ) has called `` one planet living '' . Under this overarching aim , Defra has five strategic priorities : Climate change and energy . Sustainable consumption and production , including responsibility for the National Waste Strategy . Protecting the countryside and natural resource protection . Sustainable rural communities . A sustainable farming and food sector including animal health and welfare . See also ( edit ) Badger culling in the United Kingdom Cattle Health Initiative Department of Agriculture and Rural Development ( Northern Ireland ) Energy policy in the United Kingdom Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom Environmental contract List of atmospheric dispersion models National Bee Unit National Collection of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria New Technologies Demonstrator Programme Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department UK Dispersion Modelling Bureau United Kingdom budget Waste Implementation Programme References ( edit ) Jump up ^ Budget 2011 ( PDF ) . London : HM Treasury . 2011 . p. 48 . Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 1 August 2011 . Retrieved 30 December 2011 . Jump up ^ `` Concordat between MAFF and the Scottish Executive '' . Archived from the original on 8 February 2011 . Jump up ^ `` Concordat between MAFF and the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales '' . Archived from the original on 23 February 2006 . Jump up ^ `` Devolution : Subject specific Concordat between MAFF and the Scottish Executive on fisheries '' . Archived from the original on 20 November 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Defra departmental report '' ( PDF ) . Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 27 June 2008 . Jump up ^ Harrabin , Roger ( 3 October 2008 ) . `` Marrying energy demand and supply '' . BBC News . Retrieved 22 May 2009 . Jump up ^ `` Our ministers '' . GOV.UK . Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs . Retrieved 12 May 2015 . Jump up ^ `` Her Majesty 's Official Opposition '' . UK Parliament . Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 17 . Jump up ^ ( 1 ) , Defra Jump up ^ `` Cabinet Office List of Ministerial Responsibilities , July 2010 '' . Cabinetoffice.gov.uk. 16 September 2010 . Retrieved 18 November 2011 . Jump up ^ `` List of ministerial responsibilities ( including Executive Agencies and Non-Ministerial Departments ) '' ( PDF ) . Retrieved 18 November 2011 . Jump up ^ `` DEFRA Agencies shake - up '' , news release by DEFRA , 29 June 2010 ( from the DEFRA website ) Jump up ^ `` Launch of Animal Health '' , news release by Animal Health , 2 April 2007 ( from the Defra website ) Jump up ^ `` Working with others : Defra 's delivery partners '' , Chapter 6 , Departmental Report 2006 ( from the Defra website ) Jump up ^ `` Marine Management Organisation established '' , press release by Defra , 1 April 2010 ( from the Defra website . Jump up ^ `` New champion for the environment launches '' , press release by Natural England , 11 October 2006 ( from the Natural England website ) Jump up ^ `` Delivery Landscape Map '' . Archived from the original on 29 April 2007 . Jump up ^ `` My priorities for Defra '' , David Miliband 's letter to the Prime Minister , 11 July 2006 Jump up ^ `` Delivering the Essentials of Life : Defra 's Five Year Strategy '' , Annex B External links ( edit ) Defra 's official website Fera - Executive agency of DEFRA National Collection of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria - Fera English Nature 's website JNCC 's website Defra 's wiki for formulating an environmental contract Video clips ( edit ) DEFRA YouTube channel <Th_colspan="2"> Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom <Td_colspan="2"> Headquarters : Nobel House , Smith Square Ministers Secretary of State for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs Minister of State for Food , Farming and the Environment Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Natural and Marine Environment Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs Executive agencies Animal and Plant Health Agency Centre for Environment , Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Rural Payments Agency Veterinary Medicines Directorate Non-departmental public bodies Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Consumer Council for Water Environment Agency Joint Nature Conservation Committee Marine Management Organisation National Forest Company Natural England Royal Botanic Gardens , Kew Sea Fish Industry Authority <Th_colspan="3"> Departments of Her Majesty 's Government Ministerial Attorney General 's Office Cabinet Office Department for Business , Energy and Industrial Strategy Department for Communities and Local Government Department for Digital , Culture , Media and Sport Department for Education Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs Department for Exiting the European Union Department for International Development Department for International Trade Department for Transport Department for Work and Pensions Department of Health Foreign and Commonwealth Office Her Majesty 's Treasury Home Office Ministry of Defence Ministry of Justice Northern Ireland Office Office of the Advocate General for Scotland Office of the Leader of the House of Commons Office of the Leader of the House of Lords Scotland Office UK Export Finance Wales Office Non-ministerial Charity Commission for England and Wales Competition and Markets Authority Crown Prosecution Service Food Standards Agency Forestry Commission Government Actuary 's Department Government Legal Department Her Majesty 's Land Registry Her Majesty 's Revenue and Customs National Crime Agency National Savings and Investments Office for Standards in Education , Children 's Services and Skills Office of Gas and Electricity Markets Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation Office of Rail and Road Ordnance Survey Serious Fraud Office Supreme Court of the United Kingdom The National Archives UK Statistics Authority UK Trade & Investment Water Services Regulation Authority <Td_colspan="3"> Category Commons <Th_colspan="2"> Agriculture in the United Kingdom <Td_colspan="2"> Economy of the United Kingdom Agriculture Companies ADAS ( company ) Arla Foods UK Bernard Matthews Farms Dairy Crest Faccenda Group Farmcare Frontier Agriculture Genus Müller Wiseman Dairies NFU Mutual Norbrook Group Openfield Vestey Group Conservation Grazing marsh Hedgerow removal Rare Breeds Survival Trust Government and regulation Agricultural Land Classification Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Potato Council Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency British Cattle Movement Service The Country Code Crown Estate Department of Agriculture and Rural Development ( Northern Ireland ) Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs Institute for Animal Health Legislation Meat and Livestock Commission Natural England Rights of way in Scotland Rural Development Council Rural Payments Agency Scottish Government Enterprise and Environment Directorate Single Payment Scheme History <Td_colspan="2"> Agricultural Revolution British timber trade Celtic field Common land Corn Laws Diggers Dutch barn Enclosure Haughley Experiment Highland Clearances Highland Potato Famine Lowland Clearances Napier Commission Rationing Run rig Rural Reconstruction Association Scottish Agricultural Revolution Swing Riots Victory garden Women 's Land Army Foot - and - mouth 1967 2001 2007 Nations and regions England Agriculture in London Cuisine Cornwall Devon Fishing Scotland Animal breeds Shetland Crofting Scottish Crofting Foundation Cuisine Factor Fishing Royal Highland Show Wales Cuisine Royal Welsh Show Tŷ unnos Non-governmental organisations Unions Farmers ' Union of Wales National Farmers ' Union of England and Wales National Farmers ' Union of Scotland Ulster Farmers ' Union Young Farmers ' Clubs of Ulster <Td_colspan="2"> British Egg Industry Council British Poultry Council Country Land and Business Association Fresh Start Initiative Institute of Biological , Environmental and Rural Sciences James Hutton Institute Museums Museum of English Rural Life National Museum of Rural Life National Non-Food Crops Centre Nottingham Arabidopsis Stock Centre Rothamsted Research Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland Soil Association Tenant Farmers Association Universities and colleges CAFRE Royal Agricultural University Scotland 's Rural College Sectors Beekeeping June Gap Fell farming Forestry Other Countryfile Eglu Farmers Weekly Farming Today Hurdles <Td_colspan="2"> Category <Th_colspan="2"> Energy in the United Kingdom <Td_colspan="2"> <Th_colspan="2"> Companies <Td_colspan="2"> Coal Anglo American Asia Energy BHP ENRC Glencore Rio Tinto UK Coal Oil and gas Integrated BP Royal Dutch Shell Exploration and production Afren BHP Cairn Energy Centrica Dana Petroleum Desire Petroleum Emerald Energy EnQuest Essar Energy Hardy Oil and Gas JKX Oil & Gas Melrose Resources Ophir Energy Perenco Premier Oil Regal Petroleum Rockhopper Exploration SOCO International Star Energy Tullow Oil Supply Greenergy Murco Petroleum Support Abbot Group AMEC Ensco Expro Hunting Petrofac Qserv Score Group Weir Group WesternGeco Wood Group Utilities Generation and supply Integrated Centrica EDF Energy E. ON UK RWE npower Scottish Power SSE Generation Drax Group Falck Renewables Horizon Nuclear Power International Power Vattenfall United Kingdom Vedanta Resources Supply The Co-operative Energy Ecotricity ESB International Extra Energy Firmus Energy First Utility Good Energy Green Energy LoCO2 Energy Opus Energy Ovo Energy Phoenix Natural Gas Telecom Plus Distribution Electricity Electricity North West Northern Powergrid SP Energy Networks SSE Power Distribution UK Power Networks Western Power Distribution Gas Firmus Energy National Grid Northern Gas Networks Phoenix Natural Gas SGN Wales & West Utilities Transmission Electricity National Grid Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission SP Energy Networks Gas National Grid Other Aggreko APX Group Aquamarine Power Ecogen EnServe Geothermal Engineering Hi - Gen Power Mark Group Wavegen <Td_colspan="2"> Companies with headquarters and / or registered office in the UK but no applicable energy operations within the country shown in italics Ultimate parent company is not UK - based Integrated in the United States , no generation or supply activities in the UK <Td_colspan="2"> <Th_colspan="2"> Energy sources <Td_colspan="2"> Coal Coal Authority Coal - fired power stations Coal mines Coal mining regions Confederation of UK Coal Producers Greenhouse gas emissions History Miners ' strike National Coal Board Open - pit coal mining Electricity Association of Electricity Producers BritNed East -- West Interconnector Energy switching services Economy 7 Economy 10 Electricity billing Green electricity Grid Trade Master Agreement HVDC Cross-Channel HVDC Moyle HVDC Norway -- UK Isle of Man to England Interconnector National Grid Control Reserve Service New Electricity Trading Arrangements Power stations Timeline of the electricity supply industry Nuclear Advanced gas - cooled reactor Franco -- British Nuclear Forum Magnox National Nuclear Laboratory Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Nuclear Liabilities Fund Nuclear power stations Office for Nuclear Regulation Sellafield United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Oil and gas BBL Pipeline Dash for Gas Forties pipeline system Fuel protests Gas infrastructure Greenhouse gas emissions Hydrocarbon oil duty Oil and Gas Authority National Transmission System Natural gas fields Natural gas - fired power stations North Sea oil Oil & Gas UK Oil fields Oil - fired power stations Oil infrastructure Oil refineries Petroleum revenue tax Renewables Biofuels Biodiesel Biofuel power stations National Non-Food Crops Centre Renewable Fuels Agency Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Geothermal Geothermal power stations Hydroelectricity Hydroelectric power stations Severn Barrage Wave farms Solar power Wind power List of offshore wind farms List of onshore wind farms North Sea Offshore Grid Wind power in Scotland <Td_colspan="2"> <Th_colspan="2"> ( hide ) Government and regulation <Td_colspan="2"> Organisations Carbon Trust Cenex Committee on Climate Change Department for Business , Energy and Industrial Strategy Department of Energy and Climate Change Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs Energy Saving Trust Environment Agency Office of Gas and Electricity Markets Legislation and initiatives Carbon Emission Reduction Target Climate Change Act 2008 Climate Change Agreement Climate Change Levy Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme Display Energy Certificate Energy Act 2013 Energy Performance Certificate Fossil Fuel Levy Low Carbon Building Programme National Industrial Symbiosis Programme Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation Planning Act 2008 Renewable Heat Incentive Renewables Obligation United Kingdom Climate Change Programme <Td_colspan="2"> <Th_colspan="2"> Non-governmental organisations <Td_colspan="2"> Charities and pressure groups Ashden Award BioRegional Campaign against Climate Change Centre for Alternative Technology National Energy Action Stop Climate Chaos Tyndall Centre Industry bodies Combined Heat and Power Association Energy Institute Energy Networks Association Energy Retail Association Green Power Forum RenewableUK Utilities Intermediaries Association Research Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology Energy Technologies Institute Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research NaREC Oil Depletion Analysis Centre Sunbury Research Centre UK Energy Research Centre <Td_colspan="2"> <Th_colspan="2"> Energy conservation <Td_colspan="2"> Association for the Conservation of Energy British Energy Efficiency Federation Close the Door campaign Code for Sustainable Homes Double Glazing & Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme EcoHomes Energy efficiency in British housing Energy Saving Trust Energy Saving Trust Recommended Greenhouse gas emissions HTB National Home Energy Rating <Td_colspan="2"> Category Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Department_for_Environment,_Food_and_Rural_Affairs&oldid=813516885 '' Categories : Department for the Environment , Food and Rural Affairs ( United Kingdom ) Ministerial departments of the United Kingdom Government Agriculture in England Environment ministries Environment of England Ministries established in 2001 2001 establishments in the United Kingdom Forestry agencies in the United Kingdom Agriculture ministries Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from April 2017 Use British English from January 2015 Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2008 All articles containing potentially dated statements Talk Contents About Wikipedia Cymraeg Français 日本 語 Norsk Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 3 December 2017 , at 21 : 24 . 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