Deben was MP for the Suffolk Coastal constituency from 1984 to 2010 before entering the House of Lords and was Secretary of State for the Environment during John Major’s government.
He was also responsible for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Ministry of Environment and Local Government during his time in the cabinet.
Outside the House of Lords, Deben holds a number of roles including chairman of consultancy firm Sancroft International and a non-executive directorship of Castle Trust Capital.