HL Deb 23 March 1999 vol 598 c157WA
The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensbury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether consideration will be given to merging the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions into a single rural affairs ministry, following the setting up of a Food Standards Agency. [HL1362]

Lord Donoughue

The Government have no plans at present to merge these two departments.