Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity)

Lord Gardiner was reappointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity in January 2018. The remit includes responsibility for biosecurity, endemic and exotic plant and animal disease, and invasive alien species.

Professor Nicola Spence FRSB

Chief Plant Health Officer

As Government Chief Plant Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spence advises ministers, industry and others about the risks posed by plant pests and diseases, and is responsible for ensuring that measures are in place to manage those risks and minimise their impact, as well as leading the operational response in the event of a disease outbreak.