Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills was a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom created in 2009. It was formed by merging the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. The department was ultimately dissolved in July 2016, with its core functions transferring to the newly created Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for International Trade.

History

The department was established on 5 June 2009 by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, consolidating business and higher education policy under one roof. This merger reversed a previous separation enacted by Brown in 2007, which had created the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. The creation was part of a wider cabinet reshuffle following the 2009 local elections and the expenses scandal. It existed throughout the premierships of David Cameron and the coalition government, playing a central role in the economic response to the Great Recession. Following the EU referendum, new Prime Minister Theresa May dissolved it as part of a major governmental reorganization.

Responsibilities

The department held a wide-ranging portfolio focused on economic growth, innovation, and skills. Its central duties included national policy for higher education and further education, including the funding of institutions like the University of Oxford and student finance. It was responsible for promoting British business, science, and research, overseeing bodies such as Innovate UK and the Research Councils UK. The department also regulated corporate law, consumer rights, and employment relations, enforcing statutes through agencies like the Insolvency Service and the Competition and Markets Authority. Furthermore, it had lead responsibility for UK Trade & Investment and the Post Office Ltd.

Structure and governance

The department was headquartered at 1 Victoria Street in London, with additional offices across the United Kingdom. It was led by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, supported by several junior ministers covering specific areas such as universities, science, and business. Day-to-day operations were managed by a senior Permanent Secretary, with Martin Donnelly serving in the role for much of its existence. The department directly sponsored numerous executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies, including the Intellectual Property Office, the Skills Funding Agency, and the Met Office.

Ministers

The first Secretary of State was Liberal Democrat MP Vince Cable, who served throughout the coalition government from 2010 to 2015. He was succeeded by Conservative MP Sajid Javid following the 2015 general election. Other notable ministers included David Willetts, who served as Minister of State for Universities and Science, and Anna Soubry, who served as Minister of State for Small Business. The final Secretary of State was Sajid Javid, who left the post when the department was abolished in July 2016.

Key policies and initiatives

A major early policy was the introduction of higher university tuition fees in England following the Browne Review, implemented in 2012. The department launched the flagship Catapult Centres program to commercialize research and drive innovation across sectors like high value manufacturing and cell therapy. It oversaw the implementation of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 and subsequent reforms to vocational training. In response to the Great Recession, it established the Business Finance Partnership and various enterprise schemes. The department also produced significant white papers on higher education and industrial strategy, influencing the later creation of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Category:Defunct departments of the Government of the United Kingdom Category:2009 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:2016 disestablishments in the United Kingdom