Defra register of board members' interests 2023
Updated 23 October 2024
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Background
Defra’s departmental board members’ register of declared interests as of July 2023.
This list sets out the declared interests of executive and non-executive members of the Defra board. The Cabinet Office publishes a list of ministers’ interests separately.
Departmental board members are asked to declare any personal, business or related party interests that may, or may be perceived by a reasonable member of the public to, influence their judgements in performing their obligations to the department.
The purpose of this list is to meet the requirements of section 6.4.3(e) of the Government Financial Reporting Manual 2022 to 2023 and paragraph 4.15 of the Corporate governance in central departments: code of good practice.
Register of interests: Non-Executive Directors
Heather Hancock, Defra Lead Non-executive Director
Remunerated interests
- Master, St John’s College, University of Cambridge
- Non-executive Director Urban Logistics REIT plc
- Non-executive Director Rural Solutions Ltd
- Devonshire Group Ltd
Unremunerated interests
- Chair, Royal Countryside Fund; Director of associated trading company Royal Countryside Fund Trading Ltd
- Director Amerdale Ltd
- Former Partner Deloitte LLP
- Trustee, University of Cambridge
- Chair of Trustees, Cambridge University Music Society
- Trustee, Chatsworth Settlement Trust
Significant shareholdings
Amerdale Ltd.
Relevant family members’ interests or persons living in your household
Husband: Chairman, Rural Solutions Ltd, non-executive director, Amerdale Ltd.
Farmer in receipt of CAP payments or other farming subsidy
Director of Amerdale Ltd, which owns the freeholds of two farm holdings in Littondale North Yorkshire, a small hydro-electric scheme, and a pub. Amerdale leases the farms, land and pub, and grazing and sporting rights. Co-owner of the freehold of other land in Littondale with husband, also leased out. Amerdale Ltd and farm tenants are in receipt of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payments, and receive other ad hoc grants for environmental improvements.
Trustee of the Chatsworth Settlement Trust, which has let and in-hand farm and forestry estates in Derbyshire and North Yorkshire, attracting BPS and other support payments.
Master of St John’s College, Cambridge, which owns land at Ousebridge Farm, Denver (which is managed by a tenant farmer). Ousebridge Farm forms part of the Ouse Washes Landscape Recovery Scheme which involves 9 landowners, and the project is managed by the RSPB. The Ouse Washes Landscape Recovery Scheme has secured LRS funding from Defra from February 2024 for 2 years. All money from Defra will run through the RSPB so the college will not receive money directly from Defra.
Heather has been awarded a grant of £135,000 to plant 15.7 hectares with 24,000 trees under the Nature for Climate programme – part of the Northern Forest scheme, and a Woodland Trust and YDNPA collaboration called Grow Back Greener. The planting is on Horsehead Moor at Halton Gill.
Other declarations
- Vice President Upper Wharfedale Agricultural Society
- Chair, the Agricultural Forum
Colin Day, Non-Executive Director, Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee
Remunerated interests
- Premier Foods Plc – Chairman
- FM Global Inc – main board member and member of Finance and Investment Committees
- FM Insurance Europe SA – main board member and member of Audit Committee
- S4c Plc – board member and Non-Executive Director
Unremunerated interests
- Council of the University of Cranfield – member of Finance Committee and pro bono Adviser
- MKU Ltd – Chairman
- Flyglass Ltd – Secretary, Director
Chris Tyas, Defra Non-executive Director
Remunerated interests
- Chairperson GS1 UK
- Senior NED Greenback Recycling Technologies
- Chair Advisory Board o9 Solutions (resigned 24 December 2023 effective 31 March 2024)
- Advisory Board Member Redkite Data (resigned 24 December 2023 effective 31 March 2024)
- Advisory Board Hellios Information Ltd
Unremunerated interests
- Visiting Professor Sheffield University (resigned 24 December 2023 effective 31 December 2024)
- Ambassador Grantham Foundation (resigned 24 December 2023 effective 31 December 2024)
Significant shareholdings
- Shares and Options in Greenback Recycling (private company)
- Shares in o9 Solutions
- ISAs and Savings Barclays PLC
- Life Bond UBS
Relevant family members’ interests or persons living in your household.
- Tyas Services Ltd, family company to manage advisory earnings
Register of interests: Senior officials
Tamara Finkelstein, Permanent Secretary
Unremunerated interests
- Norwood (children and adult learning disability charity) – Trustee
- JCOSS (Secondary school) – Trustee
- Leadership Centre (Leadership Centre Fellows network charity) – Trustee
- Wiener Holocaust Library, an institution devoted to the study of the Holocaust, its causes and legacies – Patron
- Institute for Government (Organisation promoting effective Government) – Board Member
Relevant family members’ interests or persons living in your household
- Daniel Finkelstein, brother – member of House of Lords, Times columnist
- Simon Finkelstein, nephew – SpAd to Chancellor
Nick Joicey, Defra group Chief Operating Officer and Second Permanent Secretary
Unremunerated interests
- University of Bristol Trustee – board member and chair of the finance board
- The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Dulwich St Barnabas – trustee
- Fera Science Ltd – board member (February 2015 to July 2018)
- Cambridge Film Trust – director (August 2007 to February 2018)
Relevant family members’ interests or persons living in your household
Rachel Reeves, wife: Shadow Chancellor (appointed 10 May 2021). She was previously Shadow Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office.
Other declarations
Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).
Lucy Smith, Director General for Strategy and Change
No interests declared.
Iain King, Chief Financial Officer
No interests declared.
Register of interests: Ex-Officio members
Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency
Additional roles
Partnership at Palace House International (two) LLP since 2007.
Remunerated interests
- Interserve Group Limited London – Chairman
- SIG Plc – Non-Executive Director
Significant shareholdings
- Highview Energy – Shareholder
- Abundance Investments – Shareholder
- Progressive Energy – Shareholder
Other declarations
60% interest in a 40-acre broad-leaved woodland, and 10 acre arable field near Shalbourne in Wiltshire.
Tony Juniper, Chairman of Natural England
Remunerated interests
Tony Juniper.com Ltd – Director and shareholder. 50% share with spouse. A private company, which is run to manage remunerated work with the University of Cambridge, adhoc speaking engagements and advisory work with the Union Bancaire Privee.
Unremunerated interests
- Sustainability Advisory Board for the BBC – Member
- Cool Earth – Trustee
- Friends of the Earth – Member
- Greenpeace – Member
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) – Member
- Wildlife Trusts – Member
- National Trust – Member
- Butterfly Conservation – Member
- Flora and Fauna International – Board Member