Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Name	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Formed	14 July 2016
Preceding1	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Preceding2	Department of Energy and Climate Change
Dissolved	7 February 2023
Superseding1	Department for Business and Trade
Superseding2	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Superseding3	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Jurisdiction	Government of the United Kingdom
Headquarters	1 Victoria Street, London
Employees	3,030
Budget	£15.1 billion (2021-22)
Minister1 name	Grant Shapps
Minister1 pfo	Final Secretary of State
Chief1 name	Sarah Munby
Chief1 position	Final Permanent Secretary

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. It was a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom, created in 2016 by Prime Minister Theresa May through a merger of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The department was responsible for developing and implementing policy related to industrial strategy, business growth, clean energy, and scientific research until its dissolution in 2023. Its final headquarters were located at 1 Victoria Street in London.

History

The department was established in July 2016 following the incoming administration of Theresa May, who sought to create a unified department for economic and energy policy. This merger brought together the responsibilities of the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which had roots in the older Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Energy and Climate Change, formed in 2008. Key historical moments for the department included publishing the landmark Industrial Strategy white paper in 2017 and managing the economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic through schemes like the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. The department was dissolved in February 2023 by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, with its functions split between the new Department for Business and Trade, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Responsibilities

The department's central remit was to deliver a comprehensive industrial strategy to boost productivity across the United Kingdom. It held responsibility for national policy on energy security, the transition to net zero, and support for low-carbon technologies. Further duties included fostering business innovation, championing consumer rights, and overseeing regulations for corporate governance. It also had a significant role in supporting the UK Space Agency and the nation's nuclear energy sector, including the decommissioning work of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Structure and governance

The department was led by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, a senior cabinet minister, supported by several junior ministers including a Minister of State and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State. The senior civil servant was the Permanent Secretary, with the final officeholder being Sarah Munby. It operated through several directorates covering areas like Science, Innovation and Growth, Energy and Security, and Market Frameworks. The department worked closely with executive agencies such as the Insolvency Service and collaborated with the Competition and Markets Authority on market regulation.

Ministers

At its dissolution, the ministerial team was headed by Grant Shapps as the final Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Other notable ministers throughout its existence included Greg Clark, who launched the Industrial Strategy, and Kwasi Kwarteng, who served during the global energy crisis. Junior ministers with specific portfolios included Graham Stuart as Minister for Energy and Kevin Hollinrake as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Enterprise and Markets. The ministers were accountable to Parliament and committees like the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee.

Public bodies

The department sponsored a wide array of public bodies, executive agencies, and non-departmental public bodies. Major agencies included the Insolvency Service, Companies House, and the UK Space Agency. It was responsible for several key regulators, such as the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (which governs Ofgem), the Office for Nuclear Regulation, and the Competition and Markets Authority. Other significant sponsored bodies included the Committee on Climate Change, the British Business Bank, and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Policies and initiatives

A cornerstone policy was the 2017 Industrial Strategy, which set out grand challenges in areas like artificial intelligence and the green economy. Major energy initiatives included the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and the British Energy Security Strategy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it implemented the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. Other significant programmes were the Net Zero Strategy, support for Horizon Europe association, and the creation of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).

Category:Defunct departments of the Government of the United Kingdom Category:2016 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:2023 disestablishments in the United Kingdom