Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made whether there are possible conflicts of interest arising from the Chair of Natural England sitting on the board of his Department.

The Chair of Natural England was invited to join the Defra board as an ex-officio member in August 2015. This was to facilitate more effective joint working across the Defra group, which is in line with current Cabinet Office guidance (paragraph 3.4). Any personal conflicts of interest are recorded on the Natural England register, and board members are required to state any relevant conflicts of interest during a standing item at the start of each board meeting.