The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown MP, has selected the following Ministers to lead government departments relevant to the BES:
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Secretary of State: Hilary Benn MP
- Minister of State: Lord Rooker (farming, animal welfare)
- Minister of State: Phil Woolas MP (climate change, energy, sustainable development)
- Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Joan Ruddock MP (climate change, biodiversity)
- Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Jonathan Shaw MP (marine, local environmental quality)
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills*
- Secretary of State: John Denham MP
- Minister of State: Bill Rammell MP (Higher Education)
- Minister of State: Ian Pearson MP (Science and Innovation)
- Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: David Lammy MP (Skills)
- Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Lord Triesman (IP)
* New Department
Some MPs and scientists are concerned that the creation of DIUS could lead to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee being disbanded or subsumed into a new departmental committee, resulting in less scrutiny of science policy. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,2124895,00.html