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 SpeakerHome OfficeDepartment for TransportDepartment of Health and Social CareMinistry of Justice

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)

HM Treasury

Jul 1988 - Jul 1989

Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)

HM Treasury

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

Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) BillCommons Administration CommitteeCommons Administration Estimate Audit and Risk Assurance CommitteeCommons Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (Lords)Lords Autism Act 2009 CommitteeLords Backbench Business CommitteeCommons Bishop's Stortford Cemetery BillCommons Built Environment CommitteeLords Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [HL]Commons Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [HL]: Programming sub-committeeCommons Business and Trade CommitteeCommons Business and Trade Sub-Committee on Economic Security, Arms and Export ControlsCommons 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 Controlled Drugs (Procedure for Specification) BillCommons Court of RefereesCommons Courts (Remote Hearings) BillCommons Culture, Media and Sport CommitteeCommons Culture, Media and Sport Sub-committee on Online Harms and DisinformationCommons Defence CommitteeCommons Defence Sub-CommitteeCommons

Recent Questions

1031 questions on record

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of vegetation clearance carried out by Network Rail under temporary variations on Network Rail’s biodiversity commitments.

Answered

To: Department for Transport • 18 Dec 2025

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the negative impact on soil cohesion when trackside trees and bushes are cut back hard and the roots destroyed by poison, or root killing herbicides, by Network Rail.

Answered

To: Department for Transport • 5 Nov 2025

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the police forces about the potential dangers of food couriers riding electric bicycles on pavements.

Answered

To: Home Office • 19 Sep 2025

To ask His Majesty's Government how many migrants arrived by small boats, and how many were deported to France, on 18 September.

Answered

To: Home Office • 19 Sep 2025

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether he and the Commission will seek to ensure that heritage concerns do not prevent the immediate installation of automated access control systems for four designated doors to the Chamber of the House.

Answered

To: The Senior Deputy Speaker • 1 Sep 2025

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)

HM Treasury

Jul 1988 - Jul 1989

Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)

HM Treasury

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