PM reveals food and farming ministerial roles

May announced a raft of junior ministerial appointments with Eustice retaining his position as the minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He will report to the secretary of state for the department Andrea Leadsom.

Eustice had backed Michael Gove in the leadership contest against May arguing he had the “mettle to deliver change”.  ​

He was elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Camborne and Redruth in 2010 and appointed minister of state on May 11 2015.

Food responsibility​

His responsibilities included: food and farming; animal health and welfare and marine and fisheries. He is also the deputy for the secretary of state on the Agriculture and Fisheries Council.

Leadsom, who ran against Theresa May for the Conservative leadership, succeeded Liz Truss, who took over as Secretary of State for Justice. Leadsom has overall responsibility for EU and international relations and emergencies.

Leadsom and Eustice will have to deal with a raft of new Brexit challenges, arising from the impact on food prices and the effects of losing EU subsidies.

The reshuffle also saw the end to the Department of Energy and Climate Change and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Business department ​

The responsibility for these areas has been incorporated into an expanded Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) under Greg Clark.

The new department brings together responsibilities for business, industrial strategy, science, innovation, energy, and climate change.

Clark is joined by Jo Johnson, minister of state for universities, who will work jointly with the Department for Education.

While the government has announced the ministers within the departments not all their specific areas of responsibility have been finalised.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drink Federation has sent a open letter to the new prime minister setting its wish list for the management of Brexit​.