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Key figures › Departments › Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Dame Angela Eagle has been Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since 20 July 2026, according to the UK Parliament Members API. HM Treasury's PESA 2026 records total departmental expenditure limits of £7.3 billion in 2025-26, with plans of £7.6 billion for 2026-27. In 2025-26 prices, the department's total DEL was £6.6 billion in 2021-22 and £7.3 billion in 2025-26. The Cabinet Office's Civil Service Statistics 2026 count 13,315 civil servants (13,950 a year earlier) at 31 March 2026, by headcount. The median salary of its civil servants was £42,670, and 57.2% of those whose sex is recorded were women. The National Audit Office's most recent report listed for the department is "Resilience of the food supply chain to disruptions" (4 September 2026).

Secretary of State, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Dame Angela Eagle
since 20 July 2026
Total DEL 2025-26
£7.3 billion
PESA 2026, outturn
Civil servants
13,315
headcount, 31 March 2026 · 12,670 full-time equivalent

Spending

Financial yearTotal DELResource DELCapital DELAdministration budgetTotal managed expenditureTotal DEL, 2025-26 prices
2021-22 outturn£5.4 billion£4.1 billion£1.3 billion£772 million£6.1 billion£6.6 billion
2022-23 outturn£5.9 billion£4.5 billion£1.5 billion£848 million£5.8 billion£6.7 billion
2023-24 outturn£6.8 billion£4.8 billion£2.0 billion£958 million£8.7 billion£7.3 billion
2024-25 outturn£7.2 billion£5.0 billion£2.3 billion£920 million£6.4 billion£7.5 billion
2025-26 outturn£7.3 billion£4.8 billion£2.5 billion£942 million£7.3 billion£7.3 billion
2026-27 plans£7.6 billion£4.8 billion£2.8 billion£1.2 billion£8.6 billion£7.4 billion
2027-28 plans£7.6 billion£4.8 billion£2.8 billion£1.1 billion£8.6 billion£7.3 billion
2028-29 plans£7.5 billion£4.7 billion£2.8 billion£1.0 billion£8.6 billion£7.1 billion

Source: HM Treasury, PESA 2026, Chapter 1. What DEL and total managed expenditure cover.

Civil service staff

Measure31 March 202631 March 2025
Headcount13,31513,950
Full-time equivalent12,67013,255
Median salary£42,670–
Women, % of known sex57.2%–
Responsibility levelHeadcount
Senior Civil Service250
Grade 6 or Grade 73,465
Senior or Higher Executive Officer5,385
Executive Officer2,045
Administrative Assistant or Administrative Officer2,170
With an unreported gradefewer than 5
OrganisationHeadcount
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (excl. agencies)6,480
Animal and Plant Health Agency3,400
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science635
Rural Payments Agency2,595
Veterinary Medicines Directorate205

Source: Civil Service Statistics 2026 and 2025, Cabinet Office.

Secretary of State

Dame Angela Eagle (Labour, MP for Wallasey) has held the post of Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since 20 July 2026. UK Parliament: career · Dame Angela Eagle's record in Parliament

National Audit Office reports

All departments · Budgets and OBR forecasts · Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs on GOV.UK

Sources