Lord Blencathra

Conservative

MP for Life peer

Parliamentary Office

contactholmember@parliament.uk 020 7219 5353

House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW

Top Focus Areas

The Senior Deputy SpeakerDepartment for TransportMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentDepartment of Health and Social CareDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Current Role

Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Parliamentary Career

Positions Held

Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Sept 2024 - Present

Opposition Chief Whip (Commons)

Whips Office (Commons)

Sept 2001 - May 2005

Minister of State (Home Office)

Home Office

May 1993 - May 1997

Minister (Department of Environment) (Environment and Countryside)

Department for the Environment

Apr 1992 - May 1993

Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food)

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Jun 1989 - Apr 1992

Lord Commissioner (HM Treasury) (Whip)

Whips Office (Commons)

Jul 1988 - Jul 1989

Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)

Whips Office (Commons)

Jun 1987 - Jul 1988

Constituencies

Penrith and The Border

Elected 3 times

May 1997 - May 2010

Penrith and The Border

Elected 3 times

Jul 1983 - May 1997

Registered Interests

No registered interests found.

Recent Votes

No voting records found

Committee Memberships

Administration CommitteeCommons Administration Estimate Audit and Risk Assurance CommitteeCommons Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (Lords)Lords Backbench Business CommitteeCommons Bishop's Stortford Cemetery BillCommons Built Environment CommitteeLords Business and Trade CommitteeCommons Business and Trade Sub-Committee on Economic Security, Arms and Export ControlsCommons Cheltenham Borough Council (Markets) BillCommons Cheltenham Borough Council (Markets) Bill Committee (Lords)Lords Childhood Vaccinations CommitteeLords City of London (Markets) BillCommons Committee of PrivilegesCommons Committee of SelectionCommons Committee of Selection (Lords)Lords Committee on StandardsCommons Committees on Arms Export ControlsCommons Commons Reference Group on Representation and InclusionCommons Communications and Digital CommitteeLords Conduct CommitteeLords Consolidation, &c., Bills (Joint Committee)Joint Constitution CommitteeLords Court of RefereesCommons Culture, Media and Sport CommitteeCommons Culture, Media and Sport Sub-committee on Online Harms and DisinformationCommons Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) BillCommons Defence CommitteeCommons Defence Sub-CommitteeCommons Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform CommitteeLords Domestic Abuse Act 2021 CommitteeLords

Recent Questions

1082 questions on record

To ask His Majesty's Government whether it remains their policy to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the duration of this Parliament.

Answered

To: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government • 22 Jul 2026

To ask His Majesty's Government what evidence they have gathered in support of their position against rent controls, including regarding their impact on likely levels of (1) rent, and (2) property to rent in the private sector.

Answered

To: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government • 22 Jul 2026

To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker how many law report volumes of all types have been purchased since the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary vacated their offices on the Law Lords' corridor; what is the cost of these volumes; what is the justification for purchasi

Answered

To: The Senior Deputy Speaker • 21 Jul 2026

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for any increase in the number of households living in temporary accommodation; and what estimate they have made of the cost of temporary accommodation to local authorities in t

Answered

To: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government • 20 Jul 2026

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difference between the number of affordable homes required in England and the number delivered in each of the last five years; and what steps they are taking to address any such shortfa

Answered

To: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government • 20 Jul 2026

View all questions

Positions Held

Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Sept 2024 - Present

Opposition Chief Whip (Commons)

Whips Office (Commons)

Sept 2001 - May 2005

Minister of State (Home Office)

Home Office

May 1993 - May 1997

Minister (Department of Environment) (Environment and Countryside)

Department for the Environment

Apr 1992 - May 1993

Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food)

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Jun 1989 - Apr 1992

Lord Commissioner (HM Treasury) (Whip)

Whips Office (Commons)

Jul 1988 - Jul 1989

Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)

Whips Office (Commons)

Jun 1987 - Jul 1988

Constituencies

Penrith and The Border

Elected 3 times

May 1997 - May 2010

Penrith and The Border

Elected 3 times

Jul 1983 - May 1997