Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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The Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS) is 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).[1]

The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) is the department for economic growth. The department invests in skills and education to promote trade, boost innovation and help people to start and grow a business. BIS also protects consumers and reduces the impact of regulation. BIS is a ministerial department, supported by 48 agencies and public bodies. [2]

Controversies

Spinning Fukushima nuclear meltdown

Nuclear spin.png This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch.

In June 2011, BIS was involved in a public relations strategy to play down the Fukushima nuclear accident before the full extent of the radiation leak was known.

The Guardian revealed that a BIS official emailed the Nuclear Industry Association and nuclear companies on 13 March 2011, two days after the disaster. The official argued it was not as bad as the 'dramatic' TV pictures made it seem – even though two explosions at reactors on the site were yet to happen. The official said that if companies sent in their comments, they could be incorporated into briefs to ministers and government statements.

On 7 April 2011, the Department for Energy and Climate Change's Office for Nuclear Development invited companies to attend a meeting at the NIA's headquarters in London. The aim was 'to discuss a joint communications and engagement strategy aimed at ensuring we maintain confidence among the British public on the safety of nuclear power stations and nuclear new-build policy in light of recent events at the Fukushima nuclear power plant'.[3]

People

Ministers

  • The Rt Hon Dr Vincent Cable MP, Secretary of State
    President of the Board of Trade, Overall responsibility, business and banking
  • Greg Clark appointed Minister of State on 7 October 2013 and Minister for Universities and Science on 15 July 2014.
  • Matthew Hancock MP, is Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (jointly with Department of Education) - Further education, skills and lifelong learning
  • Ed Vaizey was appointed Minister of State with responsibility for digital industries on 15 July 2014.
  • Ian Livingston was appointed Minister of State for Trade and Investment on 11 December 2013.
  • Nick Boles is Minister of State for Skills and Equalities.
  • Jo Swinson MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - Employment relations, consumer and postal affairs
  • George Freeman was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Life Sciences at the Department for Business in July 2014.
  • Lucy Neville-Rolfe is Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Minister for Intellectual Property

Previous Ministers

  • The Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Minister of State, Universities and science, innovation, space
  • Michael Fallon, MP Minister of State, Business and enterprise
  • Lord Green, Minister of State, Trade and investment
  • Lord Younger[4] - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Intellectual property

Civil servants

The Permanent Secretary is Martin Donnelly, following the departure of Simon Fraser CMG, on 26 August 2010.

Special Advisers

  • Ashley Lumsden - Since July 2014. Prior to this Lumsden was a Political Consultant a Greater London Authority for two years. Lumsden was Leader of the London Borough of Lambeth, Liberal Democrat Group for eight years between 2006 and 2014. He was also a London Agent for the Liberal Democrats from September 1999 until June 2012. Lumsden worked as the Executive member for finance for the Liberal Democrats between 2002 and 2006 as well as being Chair of the Pension Fund. [5]
  • Emily Walch - Since April 2012 : 'Walch was given a specific brief by Cable to keep an eye on policy that would need careful management within the Liberal Democrat party and to bring a strategic communications approach' [6]
  • Lottie Dexter

Former Special Advisers

BIS Press Office

The BIS press office is led by Aileen Boughen, the hugely experienced Head of News (and wife of Channel 4 News’s former assistant programme editor Malcolm Boughen). A former BT press officer, Boughen knows business backwards and is ably assisted by Simon Steel [6]

Management

Subsidiary elements

Non-ministerial department

Office of Fair Trading | K Trade & Investment | Competition and Markets Authority

Executive agency

Companies House | UK Space Agency | The Insolvency Service | National Measurement Office | Skills Funding Agency | Intellectual Property Office | Met Office | Land Registry | Ordnance Survey

Executive non-departmental public body

Higher Education Funding Council for England | Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service | Arts and Humanities Research Council | British Hallmarking Council | Construction Industry Training Board | Economic and Social Research Council | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council | Engineering Construction Industry Training Board | Medical Research Council | Natural Environment Research Council | Office for Fair Access | Science and Technology Facilities Council | Student Loans Company | Technology Strategy Board | UK Atomic Energy Authority | UK Commission for Employment and Skills | Capital for Enterprise Limited | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council | Competition Service | Competition Commission | Consumer Focus

Advisory non-departmental public body

Council for Science and Technology | Low Pay Commission | Industrial Development Advisory Board | Land Registration Rule Committee | Regulatory Policy Committee | Export Guarantees Advisory Council

Tribunal non-departmental public body

Competition Appeal Tribunal | Central Arbitration Committee | Copyright Tribunal | Insolvency Practitioners Tribunal

Other

Certification Office | Office of Manpower Economics | UK Green Investment Bank | Groceries Code Adjudicator | Government Office for Science


Website

Official: http://www.gov.uk/bis

See also:

Precursor departments:

Contact

Address: 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET Telephone: 020 7215 5000 Email: enquiries@bis.gsi.gov.uk

Notes

  1. ↑ Number 10, Prime Minister's Office: Changes to the machinery of Government Friday 5 June 2009
  2. ↑ Department for Business, Innovation & Skills GOV.UK, accessed 1 October 2014
  3. ↑ Rob Edwards, Revealed: British government's plan to play down Fukushima, The Guardian, 30 June 2011
  4. ↑ The Viscount Younger of Leckie appointed as Business Minister
  5. ↑ Ashley Lumsden LinkedIn profile, accessed 2 October 2014
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills The House, Parliaments Magazine, Vol.5, 11.2012, accessed 1 October 2014
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