Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Responsibilities

• has overall responsibility for all Departmental issues;
• represents the UK at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council and at the EU Environment Council; and
• leads for the UK in other international negotiations on sustainable development.

Biography

Hilary Benn was most recently the Secretary of State for International Development.

In June 1999, he was elected as Member of Parliament for Leeds Central. In June 2001, he was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development. Between May 2002 and May 2003, he was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Community and Custodial provision at the Home Office. In May 2003 he was appointed as Minister of State for International Development and in October that year was made Secretary of State for International Development. In May 2005 he was re-elected as Member of Parliament for Leeds Central and re-appointed as Secretary of State for International Development.

He served for 20 years on Ealing Borough Council, becoming the youngest ever Chair of the Education Committee and Deputy Leader of the Council.

Born in 1953, he attended Holland Park Comprehensive School and received a degree from the University of Sussex in 1974.