Two reappointments to the Natural England board

Dr Andy Clements has been reappointed as a board member for a third two-year term. Andy’s third term will run from 14 July 2020 until 13 July 2022.

Professor Michael Winter has been reappointed as a board member for a second two-year term. Michael’s second term will run from 1 September 2020 until 31 August 2022.

Dr Clements

Dr Andy Clements is a naturalist and ornithologist, and has a science background. Since 2007 he has been the Chief Executive Officer of the British Trust for Ornithology. He is founder chair, now member, of the Council of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative.

Andy has previously worked for the government’s nature conservation agencies. He held various senior positions from 1982 until 2006 and helped to establish Natural England. Other positions held: Member of the RSPB, National Trust, Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, and Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

Professor Winter

Professor Michael Winter is a rural policy specialist and social scientist with expertise covering a wide range of environmental issues and with particular interests in applying inter-disciplinary approaches to policy-relevant research. He is Professor of Land Economy and Society at the Centre for Rural Policy Research at the University of Exeter and is a member of the governing board of Rothamsted Research. He is currently leading a research project on the impacts of coronavirus on the UK food system. He represents Natural England on JNCC and chairs a joint Defra /NE social science expert panel on Environmental Land Management schemes.

He was on the coordinating group for NERC’s Valuing Nature Programme (2014-20) and co-directed Defra’s Sustainable Intensification Research Platform (2014 to 2018). He chaired the UNESCO North Devon Biosphere Partnership from 2012-2019. Other past positions held by Professor Winter include membership of the Expert Panel for the National Ecosystem Assessment (2009-14), Defra’s Science Advisory Council (2009-11), Defra’s Review Group on Bovine TB (March to September 2018), and Commission for Rural Communities (2006-13).

Background

• Natural England plays a key role in delivering Government’s environmental priorities. Its general purpose is to ensure the natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed for the benefit of present and future generations, thereby contributing to sustainable development.

• Natural England forms part of the Defra Group and as a non-departmental public body it has its own independent powers and statutory duties; exercising advisory and regulatory responsibilities at arm’s length from Ministers. Natural England is accountable to Defra’s Secretary of State for the delivery of its objectives.

• Andy and Michael will continue to receive remuneration at the rate of £328 per day (up to £11,808 per annum) with a time commitment of 36 days per annum. All reappointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the process.

• These reappointments comply with the Ministerial Code of Governance on Public Appointments. There is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if significant) to be declared. The appointees have not declared any significant political activity in the past five years.