BEIS

BEIS
source
Name	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Formed	2016
Preceding1	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Preceding2	Department of Energy and Climate Change
Dissolved	2023
Superseding1	Department for Business and Trade
Superseding2	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Jurisdiction	United Kingdom
Headquarters	London
Minister1 name	Kwasi Kwarteng
Minister1 pfo	Secretary of State (first)
Parent agency	United Kingdom government

BEIS

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy was a United Kingdom executive department created in 2016 to integrate industrial strategy, energy policy, research funding and business regulation. It combined responsibilities from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department of Energy and Climate Change, aiming to coordinate responses to challenges such as deindustrialisation, energy transition and investment in science and technology. The department operated until a 2023 reorganisation which established separate departments for trade and for energy security and net zero.

History

The department was established by Prime Minister Theresa May in 2016 following a cabinet reshuffle that merged functions from David Cameron cabinet-era bodies. Its formation responded to outcomes from the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum and priorities outlined by the Queen’s Speech that emphasised an industrial strategy. Early milestones included publication of the Industrial Strategy White Paper (2017) and participation in high-profile initiatives such as the UK Research and Innovation funding arrangements and negotiations over energy projects like Hinkley Point C. Leadership changed through cabinets of Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss, with ministers including Greg Clark, Andrea Leadsom, and Kwasi Kwarteng. The department's remit evolved amid debates over net zero targets set under Theresa May and later reaffirmed by Boris Johnson; it was reorganised in 2023 into distinct departments under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Responsibilities and Functions

The department had wide-ranging duties including stewardship of industrial strategy, oversight of energy policy and net zero commitments, promotion of research and innovation, consumer protection in markets, and business regulation. It managed relationships with public bodies such as UK Research and Innovation, National Physical Laboratory, Competition and Markets Authority, and Companies House. It also handled major infrastructure and energy projects involving actors like EDF Energy and regulated links with international organisations including the International Energy Agency and European Investment Bank insofar as they affected UK industry. The department funded research councils formerly part of Research Councils UK and administered initiatives connected to universities such as University of Oxford and University of Cambridge collaborations.

Organisational Structure

BEIS comprised directorates responsible for energy, industrial strategy, science and innovation, SME policy, consumer markets and corporate governance. It sponsored arm’s-length bodies including UK Research and Innovation, the Competition and Markets Authority, the Met Office for climate services, and the National Measurement and Regulation Office functions absorbed from predecessor agencies. Regional offices engaged with devolved administrations such as the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, and it liaised with local enterprise partnerships like Greater Manchester Combined Authority and combined authorities in West Midlands. Ministers were supported by permanent secretaries drawn from the Civil Service leadership.

Policies and Programmes

Notable outputs included the Industrial Strategy White Paper (2017), the Clean Growth Strategy linked to Paris Agreement commitments, and interventions to support sectors such as automotive, aerospace and pharmaceuticals involving firms like Rolls-Royce, Jaguar Land Rover, and GlaxoSmithKline. Programmes targeted research and development through funds administered with UK Research and Innovation and capital investment via the Local Growth Fund and regional industrial strategies aimed at places like Liverpool and Teesside. Energy policies encompassed support for offshore wind expansion at sites such as the Dogger Bank Wind Farm and regulatory engagement over nuclear projects including Hinkley Point C. Business support measures ranged from SME finance initiatives to corporate governance reforms affecting entities listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Ministers and Governance

Cabinet-level leadership was provided by Secretaries of State who sat in cabinets led by Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss. Ministers with portfolios included Ministers for Business and Industry, Energy, Climate Change, and Science. Permanent secretaries and special advisers worked alongside cross-departmental committees involving the Treasury and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on matters of investment, trade and international research collaboration. The department engaged non-executive board members and advisory councils drawing figures from corporations like BP, Shell, and academia at institutions including Imperial College London.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques ranged from concerns over policy coherence between industrial strategy and deregulation advocated by some figures linked to Conservative Party factions, to disputes about handling of high-profile projects and subsidy allocations for nuclear and renewables involving EDF Energy and contractors on Hinkley Point C. Environmental groups including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth challenged aspects of energy policy relative to net zero ambitions, while industry stakeholders debated the balance of support between financial centres such as the City of London and manufacturing regions like Teesside. Transparency and governance issues arose around advisory appointments and procurement contracts, prompting parliamentary scrutiny by committees including the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee and interventions by the National Audit Office.

Category:Defunct departments and agencies of the United Kingdom