Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
1, Victoria Street, London | |
Department overview | |
---|---|
Formed | 14 July 2016 |
Preceding agencies | |
Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
Headquarters | 1, Victoria Street, London[1] |
Minister responsible | |
Child agencies | |
Website | Official website |
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)[2] is a government department, which was created by Theresa May on 14 July 2016 following her appointment as Prime Minister, created as a result of a merger between the Department of Energy and Climate Change and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
BEIS will bring together responsibility for business, industrial strategy, and science and innovation with energy and climate change policy, merging the functions of the former BIS and DECC.[3]
Ministers
The Ministers in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are as follows:[4]
Minister | Rank | Portfolio |
---|---|---|
The Rt Hon. Greg Clark MP | Secretary of State | |
Jo Johnson MP | Minister of State for Universities and Science, Research & Innovation | Joint minister with Department for Education |
Claire Perry MP | Minister of State for Climate Change & Industry | |
The Rt Hon. The Lord Prior of Brampton | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy & Intellectual Property | Energy and Intellectual Property, Lords lead on all BEIS issues |
Margot James MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Small Business, Consumers & Corporate Responsibility | |
Richard Harrington MP | Minister of State for Industry & Energy | Industrial policy, Energy policy |
In October 2016, Archie Norman was appointed as Lead Non Executive Board Member for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.[5]
Responsibilities
The department is responsible for UK Government policy in the following areas:
- Business regulation and support
- Climate change policy in the United Kingdom
- Company law
- Competition
- Consumer affairs
- Corporate governance
- Energy
- Employment relations
- Export licensing
- Innovation
- Insolvency
- Intellectual property
- Outer space
- Postal affairs
- Regional and local economic development
- Science and research
- Trade
Some policies apply to England alone due to devolution, while others are not devolved and therefore apply to other nations of the United Kingdom.
Devolution
Economic policy is mostly devolved but several important policy areas are reserved to Westminster. Reserved and excepted matters are outlined below.
Scotland
Reserved matters:[6]
- Competition
- Customer protection
- Import and export control
- Insolvency
- Intellectual property
- Nuclear energy
- Oil and gas
- Outer space
- Postal services
- Product standards, safety and liability
- Research councils
- Telecommunications
- Time
- Business associations
- Weights and measures
The Scottish Government Economy Directorate handles devolved economic policy.
Northern Ireland
Reserved matters:[7]
- Consumer safety in relation to goods
- Import and export controls, external trade
- Intellectual property
- Postal services
- Telecommunications
- Units of measurement
Excepted matter:[8] Nuclear energy is excepted.[9]
The department's main counterpart is:[10]
- Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (general economic policy)
Wales Under the Welsh devolution settlement, specific policy areas are transferred to the Welsh Government rather than reserved to Westminster. [ This is no longer true since the Wales Act 2017 and needs updating] http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/wales.html
References
- ↑ "New Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy swallows up DECC and BIS — full details and reaction - Civil Service World".
- ↑ "Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy". GOV.UK. GOV.UK. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ↑ "Machinery of Government Changes:Written statement - HCWS94". Hansard. Hansard. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
- ↑ "Full list of new ministerial and government appointments: July 2016". GOV.UK. Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ↑ "Business Secretary appoints Archie Norman as Lead Non-Executive Board Member". www.gov.uk. 3 October 2016.
- ↑ "Scotland Act 1998, Schedule 5, Part II". Opsi.gov.uk. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
- ↑ "Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 3". Opsi.gov.uk. 1998-06-25. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
- ↑ "Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 2". Opsi.gov.uk. 1998-06-25. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
- ↑ Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 3
- ↑ "Departments (Transfer and Assignment of Functions) Order (Northern Ireland) 1999". Opsi.gov.uk. 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2012-12-04.