Elected as Conservative MP for Taunton Deane in 2015, Rebecca Pow has been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Pow has replaced Trudy Harrison as the Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience in Defra, whose responsibilities encompass resources and waste.
Pow was previously appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at Defra from 10 September 2019 to 7 July 2022 and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport between 23 May 2019 and 10 September 2019.
CIWM reiterates its call for the new Minister to prioritise publishing the responses to the Government’s DRS and Consistency consultations.
Commentating on the appointment, CIWM’s Policy and External Affairs Director, Lee Marshall, said: “CIWM welcomes Rebecca Pow as Defra’s Minister with responsibility for waste and resources. Following a period of unprecedented uncertainty, it is reassuring to see the appointment of a Minister who is familiar with the resources and waste management brief and the important work of our sector.
“CIWM reiterates its call for the new Minister to prioritise publishing the responses to the Government’s DRS and consistency consultations, that are now long overdue. Progress on these key policy areas, alongside EPR, needs to be urgently reinvigorated to ensure we don’t lose momentum and fall further behind schedule.
“CIWM has been at the heart of the discussions on these policies and looks forward to supporting the Minister as they develop the final policy positions and progress to implementation.”
