Mr Rutley was first elected to Parliament in the 2010 General Election as the MP for Macclesfield.

David Rutley MP will be responsible for EU exit readiness

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has named David Rutley MP as new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Food and Animal Welfare.

A former Asda and PepsiCo executive, Mr Rutley will be responsible for ‘EU Exit readiness’, the food chain, animal welfare, forestry and climate change adaption.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Rutley said: "It is an honour to join the Defra Ministerial team at such an important time. I am determined to ensure that we fully realise the opportunities of leaving the EU, building on the hard work and excellent efforts of my new colleagues, so we can fulfil our pledge to leave our environment in a better state than we found it and deliver a truly Green Brexit.
 
"I am very keen to support our food and drink sector across the whole supply chain from farm to fork. Working closely with farming minister George Eustice, I look forward to championing the very best British food and drink and helping the industry to lead the world and boost exports further."

Mr Rutley was first elected to Parliament in the 2010 General Election as the MP for Macclesfield. He has previously served on the Treasury Select Committee as Parliamentary Private Secretary to several Secretaries of State.

Before entering politics, My Rutley worked as a senior executive in major companies, including Halifax general Insurance, Barclays, Asda and PepsiCo International. In the mid-90s he worked as a Special Advisor at the Treasury, the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Agriculture.

Image (C) Defra.