Robert Peter Douglas-Miller, Baron Douglas-Miller, OBE (born January 1965)[1] is a British landowner and life peer. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Biosecurity, Animal Health and Welfare from 2023 to 2024 in the Sunak ministry.[2][3][4]
The Lord Douglas-Miller | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Biosecurity, Animal Health and Welfare | |
| In office 1 December 2023 – 5 July 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | The Lord Benyon[a] |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| Assumed office 15 December 2023 Life peerage | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Peter Douglas-Miller January 1965 (age 59) |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Children | 3 |
Early life and family
editDouglas-Miller was born in January 1965.[1] His family once ran Jenners, a department store in Edinburgh.[5][6][7]
Career
editCharity
editFrom 2015 to 2022,[1] Douglas-Miller was the chairman of the Atlantic Salmon Trust, which had Prince Charles as its patron and Alister Jack as a board member.[4]
Business
editDouglas-Miller is the managing director of Moorfoot Capital Management, which owns farmland in Scotland.[8]
Political
editOn 1 December 2023, Douglas-Miller was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Biosecurity, Animal Health and Welfare, a junior ministerial office in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, succeeding Lord Benyon in the Sunak ministry.[2][9] He was created a life peer as Baron Douglas-Miller, of The Hopes in the County of East Lothian, on 15 December,[10] and was introduced to the House of Lords on 18 December.[11]
On 11 December, he announced that legislation would be introduced for the option to issue fixed penalty notices for various animal health and welfare offences, stating "I welcome penalty notices as an additional tool for our partners to use to encourage compliance with the law."[12] On 14 December, legislation for a ban on keeping primates as pets was introduced, with Douglas-Miller saying "we have consistently led the world in raising the bar for animal welfare standards and this legislation is yet another step."[13]
Douglas-Miller made his maiden speech in the House of Lords on 18 January 2024.[14]
Personal life
editDouglas-Miller owns more than 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) of land in Scotland.[5] He is married with 3 children.[14] His wife is a granddaughter of Walter Bromley-Davenport.[14]
Honours
editDouglas-Miller was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to wildlife conservation in Scotland.[15]
Notes
edit- ^ As Minister of State for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs
References
edit- ^ a b c "Robert Peter DOUGLAS MILLER personal appointments". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
- ^ a b "Robbie Douglas-Miller OBE". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
- ^ "Ministerial appointments: November-December 2023". GOV.UK. 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
- ^ a b Mason, Rowena; Horton, Helena (2023-12-01). "Scottish landowner who 'obstructs public access' made environment minister". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
- ^ a b Horton, Helena; Mason, Rowena (2023-12-06). "New UK animal welfare minister backed seal and wild bird culls". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ "Robert Douglas Miller obituary". The Times. 2023-12-16. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ "Scotsman Obituaries: Robert Douglas Miller, chairman of iconic Jenners store". The Scotsman. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ "List of Ministers' Interests: December 2023 (HTML)". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Biosecurity, Animal Health and Welfare) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
- ^ "No. 64261". The London Gazette. 20 December 2023. p. 25782.
- ^ "Introduction: Lord Douglas-Miller". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 834. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Lords. 18 December 2023. col. 2035.
- ^ "Penalty notices introduced for animal health and welfare offences". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
- ^ "Government delivers on promise to ban keeping of primates". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ a b c "Biosecurity and Infectious Diseases Volume 835: debated on Thursday 18 January 2024". hansard.parliament.uk. 18 January 2024.
- ^ "No. 63218". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 31 December 2020. p. N13.
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