The secretary of state for the environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment (DoE). Today, its responsibilities are carried out by the
secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs
The secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, also referred to as the environment secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for ...
and the
. The post was created by
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 1916 – 17 July 2005) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 ...
as a combination of the
Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the
Ministry of Transport
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...
and the
Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15 October 1970. Thus it managed a mixed portfolio of issues: housing and planning, local government, public buildings,
environmental protection
Environmental protection, or environment protection, refers to the taking of measures to protecting the natural environment, prevent pollution and maintain ecological balance. Action may be taken by individuals, advocacy groups and governments. ...
and, initially, transport –
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005) was a British statesman and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the L ...
gave transport its department again in 1976. It has been asserted that during the Thatcher government the DoE led the drive towards centralism, and the undermining of local government.
[Peter Hennessy, ''Whitehall'' p.439] Particularly, the concept of 'inner cities policy', often involving centrally negotiated
public-private partnerships and centrally appointed
development corporations, which moved control of many urban areas to the centre, and away from their, often left-wing, local authorities.
The department was based in
Marsham Towers, three separate tower blocks built for the separate pre-merger ministries, in
Westminster
Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...
.
In 1997, when Labour came to power, the DoE was merged with the Department of Transport to form the
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), thus, essentially, restoring the DoE to its initial 1970 portfolio. The titular mention of 'the Regions' referred to the government's pledge to create a
regional government. In the wake of the
2001 foot and mouth crisis, the environmental protection elements of the DETR were split of and merged with the
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), to form the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Meanwhile, the transport, housing and planning, and local and regional government aspects went to a new
Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR). A year later the DTLR also split, with transport getting
its own department and the rest going to the
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
List of environment secretaries
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Secretary Of State For The Environment
Environment
1970 establishments in the United Kingdom
1997 disestablishments in the United Kingdom