Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Welsh: *Yr Adran Fusnes, Arloesi a Sgiliau*
Department overview
Formed	5 June 2009
Preceding Department	Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills;
Dissolved	14 July 2016
Superseding agency	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy; Department for International Trade;
Jurisdiction	United Kingdom
Headquarters	1, Victoria Street, London
Annual budget	£16.5 billion (current) and £1.3 billion (capital) for 2011-12
Child agencies	Companies House; HM Land Registry; Insolvency Service; Intellectual Property Office; Met Office; National Measurement and Regulation Office; Skills Funding Agency; UK Space Agency;
Website	www.gov.uk/bis

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was a ministerial department of the United Kingdom Government created on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). It was disbanded on the creation of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 14 July 2016.^[2]

Secretaries of State for Business, Innovation and Skills[]

	Took office	Left office	Length of term	Political party
The Lord Mandelson	5 June 2009	11 May 2010	11 months and 6 days	Labour	Gordon Brown
Vince Cable	12 May 2010	12 May 2015	5 years	Liberal Democrats	David Cameron (Coalition)
Sajid Javid	12 May 2015	14 July 2016	1 year, 2 months and 3 days	Conservative	David Cameron (II)

The Permanent Secretary was Sir Martin Donnelly.

Responsibilities[]

Some policies apply to England alone due to devolution, while others are not devolved and therefore apply to other nations of the United Kingdom. The department was responsible for UK Government policy in the following areas:^[3]

business regulation and support
company law
competition
consumer affairs
corporate governance
employment relations
export licensing
further education
higher education
innovation
insolvency
intellectual property
outer space
postal affairs
regional and local economic development
science and research
skills
trade
training

Devolution[]

Economic policy is mostly devolved but several important policy areas are reserved to Westminster. Further and higher education policy is mostly devolved. Reserved and excepted matters are outlined below.

Scotland

Reserved matters:^[4]

Competition
Customer protection
Import and export control
Insolvency
Intellectual property
Outer space
Postal services
Product standards, safety and liability
Research councils
Telecommunications
Time
Business associations
Weights and measures in relation to goods

The Scottish Government Economy and Education Directorates handle devolved economic and further and higher education policy respectively.

Northern Ireland

Reserved matters:^[5]

Consumer safety in relation to goods
Import and export controls, external trade
Intellectual property
Postal services
Telecommunications
Units of measurement

Excepted matter:^[6]

outer space

The department's main counterparts are:^[7]

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (general economic policy)
Department for Employment and Learning (employment relations, further and higher education policy)

Wales

Under the Welsh devolution settlement, specific policy areas are transferred to the Welsh Government rather than reserved to Westminster.

References[]

^ Budget 2011 (PDF). London: HM Treasury. 2011. p. 48. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
^ Prime Minister's Office: Changes to the machinery of Government Archived 8 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills". gov.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
^ "Scotland Act 1998, Schedule 5, Part II". Opsi.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
^ "Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 3". Opsi.gov.uk. 25 June 1998. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
^ "Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 2". Opsi.gov.uk. 25 June 1998. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
^ "Departments (Transfer and Assignment of Functions) Order (Northern Ireland) 1999". Opsi.gov.uk. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.

External links[]

Precursor departments:

[1] Budget 2011 (PDF). London: HM Treasury. 2011. p. 48. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2011.

[2] Prime Minister's Office: Changes to the machinery of Government Archived 8 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine

[cabinetoffice1-3] "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills". gov.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2016.

[4] "Scotland Act 1998, Schedule 5, Part II". Opsi.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2012.

[5] "Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 3". Opsi.gov.uk. 25 June 1998. Retrieved 4 December 2012.

[6] "Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 2". Opsi.gov.uk. 25 June 1998. Retrieved 4 December 2012.

[7] "Departments (Transfer and Assignment of Functions) Order (Northern Ireland) 1999". Opsi.gov.uk. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.

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show v t Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Ministers	Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Alok Sharma Minister of State for Energy & Clean Growth: Kwasi Kwarteng Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Science, Research and Innovation: Amanda Solloway Minister of State for Universities, Research, Science & Innovation
Executive agencies	Companies House HM Land Registry Insolvency Service Intellectual Property Office Met Office UK Space Agency
Non-departmental public bodies	Acas British Hallmarking Council Council for Science and Technology Innovate UK Low Pay Commission Office for Fair Access UK Atomic Energy Authority
Research councils	Arts and Humanities Research Council Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Economic and Social Research Council Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Medical Research Council Natural Environment Research Council Science and Technology Facilities Council
Other	British Business Bank Government Office for Science Groceries Code Adjudicator Manufacturing Advisory Service Office of Manpower Economics Ordnance Survey
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