Minister of State for Food, Farming and Fisheries 
This week I caught up with Mark Spencer, the Minister of State for Food, Farming and Fisheries. We talked through a broad range of issues including planning regulations, the threat of avian flu, ongoing energy support and the retention of a highly skilled seasonal workforce.
I have a lot of time for Mark, he is clearly on top of his brief and his competence is no doubt due to the fact that he was once a farmer himself!
Mark knows the farming industry better than most and he understands the issues confronting our hardworking farmers. I regularly meet with local farmers and this meeting was just one of the many ways in which I relay their feedback directly to ministers.
