Department for Business and Trade
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT)[1] is a department of His Majesty's Government established on 7 February 2023 after a government reshuffle, the first by prime minister Rishi Sunak. The new department absorbed the functions of the former Department for International Trade (DIT) and some of the functions of the former Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
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The department is headed by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade assisted by a number of junior ministers. The present incumbent, and the first to hold the role, is Kemi Badenoch; she is also President of the Board of Trade and Minister for Women and Equalities. Badenoch was previously the final Secretary of State at DIT.
History
The department was established on 7 February 2023. It combines the business focused responsibilities of the former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), with the former Department for International Trade (DIT). The ministers and senior civil servants from DIT carried over to continue leading the new department.
The creation of the new department was described by Downing Street as an opportunity to provide "a single, coherent voice for business inside government, focused on growing the economy with better regulation, new trade deals abroad, and a renewed culture of enterprise at home".[2]
Responsibilities
The department's focus was outlined by Downing St as follows:
- Delivering economic growth opportunities across the economy.
- Backing business by improving access to finance and delivering a pro-enterprise regulatory system;
- Promoting British businesses on the global stage and attracting high-value investment, including through high quality Free Trade Agreements with India and other priority partners.
- Promoting competitive markets and addressing market distorting practises to support growth, whilst protecting consumers;
- Championing free trade;
- Ensuring economic security and supply chain resilience;
- Supporting economic growth and innovation by making the most of Brexit freedoms and removing unnecessary regulatory burdens;
- Delivering legislation on setting minimum service levels for priority public service sectors and to review, reform, retain and/or repeal retained EU law by December 2023. [2]
Ministers
Ministers in the department in March 2023:
| Minister | Rank | Title | Portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rt Hon. Kemi Badenoch MP | Secretary of State | Secretary of State President of the Board of Trade Minister for Women and Equalities |
Overall responsibility for the department. Responsible for leading the government's relationship with business and international commerce. The Secretary of State is responsible for securing world-class free trade agreements and reducing market access barriers, ensuring that consumers and businesses can benefit from both; encouraging economic growth and a green industrial revolution across all parts of the UK through attracting and retaining inward investment. They are responsible for supporting UK business to take full advantage of trade opportunities, including those arising from delivering free trade agreements, facilitating UK exports. Additionally they champion the rules-based international trading system and operating the UK's new trading system, including protecting UK businesses from unfair trade practices.[3]
As Minister for Women and Equalities, the Secretary of State also has responsibility for developing an equalities policy that is based on individual autonomy and dignity and for promoting equality of opportunity for everyone.[4] |
| Nusrat Ghani MP | Minister of State | Minister of State at the Department of Business and Trade | |
| Nigel Huddleston MP | Minister of State | Minister of State | |
| Dominic Johnson, Baron Johnson of Lainston | Minister of State | Minister of State | This role is unpaid, and has typically been the domain of a member of the House of Lords. |
| The Earl of Minto | Minister of State | Minister of State | This role is unpaid and was created on 27 March 2023.[5] |
| Kevin Hollinrake MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State |
See also
- Department for International Trade - preceding body from 2016 to 2023.
- Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy - preceding body from 2016 to 2023.
- Department of Trade and Industry - UK government department with a historically similar function from 1970 to 2007.
References
- "Compensation scheme for Group Litigation Order case postmasters: privacy notice - GOV.UK". gov.uk. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- Making Government Deliver for the British People: Updating the machinery of government for the world of today and of tomorrow (PDF). UK Government. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright. - "Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade". GOV.UK. UK Government. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- "Minister for Women and Equalities". GOV.UK. UK Government. Retrieved 17 November 2022. Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
- "The Earl of Minto". GOV.UK. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
External links
- Official webpage on GOV.UK.
- Making Government Deliver: Updating the machinery of government for the world of today and of tomorrow policy paper forwarded by Rishi Sunak explaining the rationale for the department.
