Elected as Conservative MP for Copeland in 2017, Trudy Harrison was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 7 September 2022.
Harrison was previously Minister of State at the Department for Transport from 7 July 2022 to September 2022 and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport (DfT) from 17 September 2021 to July 2022.
Commentating on the appointment, CIWM’s Policy and External Affairs Director, Lee Marshall, said: “CIWM welcomes Trudy Harrison as Defra minister for resources and waste and looks forward to developing a close working relationship.
“CIWM would urge the new Minister to prioritise publishing the responses to the Government’s DRS and Consistency consultations, which are now long overdue. Progress on these key policy areas, alongside EPR, needs to be urgently reinvigorated to ensure we don’t lose momentum and fall further behind schedule.
“CIWM has been at the heart of the discussions on these policies and looks forward to supporting the Minister as they develop the final policy positions and progress to implementation.”
During her time as an MP, Harrison said she welcomed the UK’s first Food Waste Action Week, which was supported by Defra and led by the Waste and Resources Action Programme organisation (WRAP).
CIWM would urge the new Minister to prioritise publishing the responses to the Government’s DRS and Consistency consultations.
She also visited pupils at Seascale primary school to discuss their “innovative” work to reduce plastic waste as part of their ‘Reduce, Re-use & Recycle’ campaign.
During her time as a Defra minister, Harrison has visited the reuse and repair facility at Trafford Park, the ‘Renew Hub’, which is run by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).
Before becoming an MP, Harrison worked at Sellafield for 5 years as a technical clerk before setting up and running a childcare business. Following a career break, Trudy was employed by Copeland Borough Council, first as a Locality Officer and then as Community Regeneration Officer.
The MP for Copeland then left Copeland Borough Council in 2013 to work as a Programme Manager for investors specialising in renewable energy and sustainable community projects.
Following her election in 2017, Harrison served on the House of Commons European Statutory Instruments Committee and the Education Committee. She has also served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary at DfT, Ministry for Defence and Department for Education. In December 2019, Harrison was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.