CHANGES in duties for some of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ministers have been announced by DEFRA boss Margaret Beckett.

In making the announcement, the minister said: "One year on, DEFRA has a good story to tell. DEFRA's ministers are in the vanguard of plans to reform the EU's common agriculture and fisheries policies. The department received a good settlement from the spending review (which will help its) work of achieving a step-change in sustainable farming and rejuvenating rural communities and economies."

All of the ministers have responsibility for some aspect of agriculture in addition to other duties, as follows:

Michael Meacher - Minister of State (Environment and Agri-environment): Climate change, horizontal and international environmental issues, GMOs, plant health, plant variety rights and seeds, agri-environment, non-food crops, organics, chemicals, waste (including radioactive waste and incineration issues), chairman of green ministers, business and the environment, Environment Agency.

Alun Michael - Minister of State (Rural Affairs and Urban Quality of Life): Rural affairs, rural economies and communities, rural white paper implementation, chairs rural affairs forum for England, hunting with dogs, Inland Waterways, Countryside Agency and Rural Payments Agency, landscape, national parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty, access, rights of way and commons, horse issues, England Rural Development Programme, urban liveability issues, lead DEFRA minister on planning, regional and local government issues, environmental liability, air quality, noise, departmental green minister, Smart Regulation.

Elliot Morley - Parliamentary Secretary (Commons) (Fisheries, Water and Nature Protection): Nature conservation and biodiversity (including marine), water (including the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science), fisheries, floods, forestry, animal health and welfare (including the Veterinary Laboratory Agency and Veterinary Medicines Directorate).

Larry Whitty - Parliamentary Secretary (Lords) (Farming, Food and Sustainable energy): Sustainable farming (including horticulture) and the food industry, CAP, trade issues, science issues (including the Central Science Laboratory), pesticides policy (including the Pesticides Safety Directorate), transport and the environment, energy efficiency and other energy issues, Kew Gardens, horticulture research interntional and Covent Garden Market Authority.

Updated: 09:32 Thursday, September 12, 2002