Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
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Name	Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
Incumbent	None (office abolished)
Style	The Right Honourable
Appointer	Monarch
Termlength	At His Majesty's pleasure
Formation	2009
Abolishment	2016
Inaugural	Gordon Brown (as Prime Minister creating the post)
Seat	Westminster
Website	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills was a senior British cabinet position responsible for leading the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, overseeing policy areas including industry, trade, science, higher education, and intellectual property. The office linked ministers such as Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Nick Clegg, and Ed Miliband through periods of coalition and single-party administrations, connecting to institutions like Companies House, Universities UK, Tech Nation, and international partners including European Union, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and World Trade Organization. The post coordinated with agencies and officials such as the Bank of England, Competition and Markets Authority, UK Research and Innovation, and prominent figures like Vince Cable, Michael Fallon, and Stephen Carter.

History and Creation

The office was created in 2009 by a reorganization initiated during the premiership of Gordon Brown that merged responsibilities from the former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, consolidating functions associated with Science Museum-linked research policy, Higher Education Funding Council for England, and industrial strategy. The move followed precedents set by earlier secretaries such as Peter Mandelson and Gordon Brown's ministers and responded to policy challenges highlighted by events including the 2008 financial crisis and debates involving European Investment Bank financing. The inaugural arrangements drew on traditions from offices like the Board of Trade and intersected with legislation such as the Companies Act 2006 and discussions around the Climate Change Act 2008.

Responsibilities and Powers

The Secretary had responsibility for industrial strategy, corporate regulation, competition policy, innovation strategy, research funding, and higher education policy, exercising powers in coordination with statutory bodies such as Companies House, Intellectual Property Office, and the Competition and Markets Authority. The role involved ministerial oversight of public corporations like Post Office Limited and engagement with financial institutions including the Bank of England on growth and productivity matters, interfacing with international organizations such as World Trade Organization, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Statutory powers derived from Acts of Parliament including the Companies Act 2006 and statutory instruments affecting enterprise zones and regional development, and policy levers touched on entities like Invest UK and research councils historically associated with Medical Research Council and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Ministers and Officeholders

Notable officeholders included senior politicians from multiple parties: Peter Mandelson (in predecessor roles), Vince Cable as a leading Liberal Democrat minister, Michael Fallon in Conservative cabinets, and other figures such as Tessa Jowell, David Willetts, Jo Swinson, and Greg Clark. The position was often a cabinet-level portfolio held by ministers who interacted with prime ministers including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, and Theresa May. Deputies and ministers of state working under the Secretary included figures linked to portfolios in innovation and higher education like Simon Hughes and Baroness Greenfield in advisory capacities, while permanent secretaries drew from senior civil servants associated with the Civil Service leadership and institutions such as the Institute for Government.

Departmental Structure and Agencies

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills encompassed several executive agencies and public bodies including Companies House, the Intellectual Property Office, the Competition and Markets Authority (successor to Office of Fair Trading functions), and research funding bodies formerly under its oversight such as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Arts and Humanities Research Council, and Medical Research Council prior to the creation of UK Research and Innovation. The department coordinated with non-departmental public bodies including Innovate UK and regional development agencies, as well as with sectoral regulators like Ofcom (in overlapping digital policy areas) and Office for Students in higher education. The civil service structure included directors general and permanent secretaries who liaised with institutions such as Universities UK, Russell Group, and industry groups like the Confederation of British Industry and the Federation of Small Businesses.

Policies and Major Initiatives

Major initiatives overseen by the Secretary included industrial strategy frameworks aimed at boosting productivity, innovation funding schemes linked to Horizon 2020 participation, reforms to higher education funding that affected University of Oxford and University of Cambridge-level institutions, intellectual property reforms relating to patent law and alignment with European Patent Office practice, and measures to support small and medium-sized enterprises championed by groups including the Federation of Small Businesses. The department led responses to crises such as the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and Brexit-related commercial policy discussions around European Union withdrawal, while pursuing partnerships with research funders like the Wellcome Trust and industry collaborations exemplified by initiatives involving Rolls-Royce and AstraZeneca.

Abolition and Succession

The office was abolished in 2016 by a reorganization under Prime Minister Theresa May that created the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, transferring responsibilities to the new Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and affecting agencies such as UK Research and Innovation and Innovate UK. The succession reflected shifting priorities after the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum and reallocated functions to new departments interacting with entities like the Department for International Trade and regulators including the Competition and Markets Authority. The legacy of the office continues through successor ministers, policies retained by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and ongoing engagement with institutions such as Universities UK, Companies House, and international partners including the World Trade Organization.

Category:United Kingdom Cabinet Office