Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a United Kingdom cabinet position, responsible for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The post was originally named President of the Board of Agriculture and was created in 1889. In 1903, an Act was passed to transfer to the new styled Board of Agriculture and Fisheries certain powers and duties relating to the fishing industry, and the post was renamed President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries.

United Kingdom
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Longest serving
Tom Williams

3 August 1945 – 26 October 1951
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
TypeMinister of the Crown
Member of
Reports toThe Prime Minister
SeatWestminster
NominatorThe Prime Minister
AppointerThe Monarch
(on the advice of the Prime Minister)
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Formation9 September 1889
First holderPeter Walker
Final holderMargaret Beckett
Abolished27 March 2002

In 1919, it was renamed Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. In 1954, the separate position of Minister of Food was merged into the post and it was renamed Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

On 8 June 2001, the Ministry merged with Secretary of State for the Environment into the office of Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. However, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was not formally abolished until The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Dissolution) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/794) came into force on 27 March 2002.

Until the Dissolution Order also made the necessary amendments to the law when it did come into force, many statutory functions were still vested in the holder of the office of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, rather in the Secretary of State at large. For that reason, in a final twist, Margaret Beckett had to be appointed formally as the last Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food as well as becoming the first Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.[citation needed]

List of Agriculture Ministers and Board Presidents

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Presidents of the Board of Agriculture (1889–1903)

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Post created by the Board of Agriculture Act 1889.[1]

President of the Board of Agriculture[2]
Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Party Ministry
  The Right Honourable
Henry Chaplin

MP for Sleaford
(1840–1923)
9 September
1889
11 August
1892
Conservative Salisbury II
  The Right Honourable
Herbert Gardner

MP for Saffron Walden
(1846–1921)
25 August
1892
21 June
1895
Liberal Gladstone IV
Rosebery
  The Right Honourable
Walter Long

MP for Liverpool West Derby
(1854–1924)
4 July
1895
16 November
1900
Conservative Salisbury
(III & IV)

(Con.Lib.U.)
  The Right Honourable
Robert William Hanbury

MP for Preston
(1845–1903)
16 November
1900
28 April
1903
Conservative
Balfour
(Con.Lib.U.)

Presidents of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries (1903–1919)

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Board of Agriculture superseded by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries in 1903.

President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries[2][3]
Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Party Ministry
  The Right Honourable
William Onslow
4th Earl of Onslow
GCMG PC DL

(1853–1911)
19 May
1903
12 March
1905
Conservative Balfour
(Con.Lib.U.)
  The Right Honourable
Ailwyn Fellowes

MP for Ramsey
(1855–1924)
12 March
1905
4 December
1905
Conservative
  The Right Honourable
Charles Wynn-Carington
1st Earl Carrington
KG GCMG PC JP DL

(1843–1928)
10 December
1905
23 October
1911
Liberal  
Campbell-Bannerman
 
Asquith
(I–III)
  The Right Honourable
Walter Runciman

MP for Dewsbury
(1870–1949)
23 October
1911
6 August
1914
Liberal
  The Right Honourable
Auberon Herbert
9th Baron Lucas
PC

(1876–1916)
6 August
1914
25 May
1915
Liberal
  The Right Honourable
William Palmer
2nd Earl of Selborne
KG GCMG PC

(1859–1942)
25 May
1915
11 July
1916
Conservative Asquith Coalition
(Lib.Con.Lab.)
  The Right Honourable
David Lindsay
27th Earl of Crawford
PC FSA

(1871–1940)
11 July
1916
10 December
1916
Conservative
  The Right Honourable
Rowland Prothero
MVO

MP for Oxford University
(1851–1937)
10 December
1916
15 August
1919
Conservative Lloyd George
(I & II)

(Lib.Con.Lab.)

Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries, (1919–1954)

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Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries[3]
Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Party Ministry
  The Right Honourable
Arthur Lee
1st Baron Lee of Fareham
GBE KCB PC

(1868–1947)
15 August
1919
13 February
1921
Conservative Lloyd George
(I & II)

(Lib.Con.Lab.)
  The Right Honourable
Sir Arthur Griffith-Boscawen

MP for Taunton
(1865–1946)
13 February
1921
24 October
1922
Conservative
  The Right Honourable
Sir Robert Sanders
Bt

MP for Bridgwater
(1867–1940)
[Note 1]
24 October
1922
22 January
1924
Conservative Law
Baldwin I
  The Right Honourable
Noel Buxton

MP for North Norfolk
(1869–1948)
22 January
1924
3 November
1924
Labour MacDonald I
  The Right Honourable
E. F. L. Wood

MP for Ripon
(1881–1959)
6 November
1924
4 November
1925
Conservative Baldwin II
  The Right Honourable
Walter Guinness
DSO

MP for Bury St Edmunds
(1880–1944)
4 November
1925
4 June
1929
Conservative
  The Right Honourable
Noel Buxton

MP for North Norfolk
(1869–1948)
7 June
1929
5 June
1930
Labour MacDonald II
  The Right Honourable
Christopher Addison
FRCS

MP for Swindon
(1869–1951)
5 June
1930
24 August
1931
Labour
  The Right Honourable
Sir John Gilmour
Bt DSO TD JP DL

MP for Glasgow Pollok
(1876–1940)
25 August
1931
28 September
1932
Conservative National I
(N.Lab.Con.Lib.N.Lib.)
National II
(N.Lab.Con.Lib.N.Lib.)
  The Right Honourable
Walter Elliot
MC FRSE

MP for Glasgow Kelvingrove
(1888–1958)
28 September
1932
29 October
1936
Conservative
National III
(Con.N.Lab.Lib.N.)
  The Right Honourable
William Morrison
MC QC

MP for Cirencester and Tewkesbury
(1893–1961)
29 October
1936
29 January
1939
Conservative
National IV
(Con.N.Lab.Lib.N.)
  The Right Honourable
Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith
GBE

MP for Petersfield
(1899–1977)
29 January
1939
14 May
1940
Conservative
Chamberlain War
(Con.N.Lab.Lib.N.)
  The Right Honourable
Robert Hudson
CH

MP for Southport
(1886–1957)
14 May
1940
26 July
1945
Conservative Churchill War
(All parties)
Churchill Caretaker
(Con.N.Lib.)
  The Right Honourable
Tom Williams

MP for Don Valley
(1888–1967)
3 August
1945
26 October
1951
Labour Attlee
(I & II)
  The Right Honourable
Sir Thomas Dugdale
Bt TD

MP for Richmond
(1897–1977)
31 October
1951
20 July
1954
Conservative Churchill III
  The Right Honourable
Derick Heathcoat-Amory
TD

MP for Tiverton
(1899–1981)
28 July
1954
18 October
1954
Conservative

Ministers of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1954–2001)

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Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food[3]
Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Party Ministry Ref.
  The Right Honourable
Derick Heathcoat-Amory
TD

MP for Tiverton
(1899–1981)
18 October
1954
6 January
1958
Conservative Churchill III [4]
Eden
Macmillan
(I & II)
  The Right Honourable
John Hare
OBE

MP for Sudbury and Woodbridge
(1911–1982)
6 January
1958
27 July
1960
Conservative [5]
  The Right Honourable
Christopher Soames
CBE

MP for Bedford
(1920–1987)
27 July
1960
16 October
1964
Conservative [6]
Douglas-Home
  The Right Honourable
Fred Peart

MP for Workington
(1914–1988)
16 October
1964
6 April
1968
Labour Wilson
(I & II)
[7]
  The Right Honourable
Cledwyn Hughes

MP for Anglesey
(1916–2001)
6 April
1968
19 June
1970
Labour [8]
  The Right Honourable
Jim Prior

MP for Lowestoft
(1927–2016)
20 June
1970
5 November
1972
Conservative Heath [9]
  The Right Honourable
Joseph Godber

MP for Grantham
(1914–1980)
5 November
1972
4 March
1974
Conservative [10]
  The Right Honourable
Fred Peart

MP for Workington
(1914–1988)
5 March
1974
10 September
1976
Labour Wilson
(III & IV)
Callaghan
  The Right Honourable
John Silkin

MP for Lewisham Deptford
(1923–1987)
10 September
1976
4 May
1979
Labour [11]
  The Right Honourable
Peter Walker
MBE

MP for Worcester
(1932–2010)
5 May
1979
11 June
1983
Conservative Thatcher I [12]
  The Right Honourable
Michael Jopling

MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale
(1930–)
11 June
1983
13 June
1987
Conservative Thatcher II [13]
  The Right Honourable
John MacGregor
OBE

MP for South Norfolk
(1937–)
13 June
1987
24 July
1989
Conservative Thatcher III [14]
  The Right Honourable
John Gummer

MP for Suffolk Coastal
(1939–)
24 July
1989
27 May
1993
Conservative [15]
Major I
Major II
  The Right Honourable
Gillian Shephard

MP for South West Norfolk
(1940–)
27 May
1993
20 July
1994
Conservative [16]
  The Right Honourable
William Waldegrave

MP for Bristol West
(1946–)
20 July
1994
5 July
1995
Conservative [17]
  The Right Honourable
Douglas Hogg
QC

MP for Grantham
(1945–)
5 July
1995
2 May
1997
Conservative [18]
  The Right Honourable
Jack Cunningham
DL

MP for Copeland
(1939–)
3 May
1997
27 July
1998
Labour Blair I [19]
  The Right Honourable
Nick Brown

MP for Newcastle upon
Tyne East and Wallsend

(1950–)
27 July
1998
8 June
2001
Labour [20]
  The Right Honourable
Margaret Beckett

MP for Derby South
(1943–)
8 June
2001
27 March
2002
Labour Blair II [21][better source needed]

From 2002 the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was dissolved and ministerial responsibility formerly transferred to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Notes

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  1. ^ Sanders lost his seat at the 1923 general election.

Citations

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  1. ^ Board of Agriculture Act 1889 (52 and 53 Vict c 30)
  2. ^ a b Cook, Chris; Keith, Brendan (1975). British Historical Facts 1830–1900. London and Basingstoke: The Macmillan Press Ltd. p. 52.
  3. ^ a b c Butler, David; Butler, Gareth (1994). British Political Facts 1900–1994. London and Basingstoke: The Macmillan Press Ltd. pp. 53–54.
  4. ^ "Mr Derick Heathcoat-Amory". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Mr John Hare". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Mr Christopher Soames". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  7. ^ "Mr Thomas Peart". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  8. ^ "Mr Cledwyn Hughes". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Lord Prior". UK Parliament. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  10. ^ "Mr Joseph Godber". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  11. ^ "Rt Hon John Silkin". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  12. ^ "The Lord Walker of Worcester". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  13. ^ "Lord Jopling". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  14. ^ "Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  15. ^ "Lord Deben". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  16. ^ "Baroness Shephard of Northwold". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  17. ^ "Lord Waldegrave of North Hill". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  18. ^ "Viscount Hailsham". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  19. ^ "Lord Cunningham of Felling". UK Parliament. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  20. ^ "Rt Hon Nicholas Brown MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  21. ^ "Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 23 November 2017.