Department of Energy and Climate Change

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Not to be confused with the defunct Department of Energy (United Kingdom).
Department of Energy and Climate Change
Welsh: Yr Adran Ynni a Newid yn yr Hinsawdd
Energy Climate Change logo.svg
55 Whitehall.jpg
55 Whitehall, London
Department overview
Formed 2008
Jurisdiction United Kingdom
Headquarters 55 Whitehall, London
Annual budget £1.5 billion (current) & £1.5 billion (capital) in 2011–12 [1]
Department executive
Child Department
Website www.gov.uk/decc

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is a British government department created on 3 October 2008 by then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown to take over some of the functions related to energy of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and those relating to climate change of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is led by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, a position held by Amber Rudd MP since 11 May 2015.[2]

The Department released a major White Paper in July 2009 setting out its purpose and plans.[3] The majority of DECC's spending is on managing the UK's historic nuclear sites, in 2012/13 this being 69% of its budget spent through the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, and this is expected to increase when the last of the UK's Magnox reactors are shut down and no longer produce an income.[4]

Ministers

The DECC Ministers are as follows:[5]

Minister Rank Portfolio
Amber Rudd MP Secretary of State The Secretary of State has overall responsibility for the business of the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) and its policies, this includes: Overall strategy on energy, consumer and climate change policy, International Climate Change negotiations, Energy bills and the Competition and Markets Authority investigation, Key decisions on major programmes and new policy in DECC
The Rt Hon. Andrea Leadsom MP Minister of State for Energy Electricity and gas markets, New energy infrastructure, Energy security, Oil and Gas policy, including shale gas, The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Geological Disposal Facility, New nuclear, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and renewables, Nuclear safety and regulation, International energy
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Heat, including Renewable Heat Incentive, Smart meters, Energy efficiency and fuel poverty, Climate science and innovation, Planning, Transparency, Support to the Secretary of State on international climate change

Management

Department of Energy and Climate Change (Abolition) Bills 2014–15 and 2015–16

In July 2014, a private member's bill was proposed in Parliament, sponsored by Conservative MP Peter Bone, to abolish the Department of Energy and Climate Change and absorb its portfolio into the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. In the House of Commons, it was scheduled for a second reading on 6 March 2015. However, as a private members bill, it was unlikely to be passed without government support, which in the event it failed to get.[9]

Mr Bone reintroduced his Bill on the 29th June 2015. It did not progress beyond its first reading.[10]

Devolution

The devolution of energy policy varies around the UK; most aspects in Great Britain are decided at Westminster. Key reserved and excepted energy matters (i.e. not devolved) are as follows:

Scotland [11]

Northern Ireland

Nuclear energy is excepted.[12]

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is responsible for general energy policy.[13]

Wales

Under the Welsh devolution settlement, specific policy areas are transferred to the National Assembly for Wales rather than reserved to Westminster.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ See "The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan", The Stationery Office, 2009-07-15. Retrieved on 4 August 2009.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Department of Energy & Climate Change Press Notice, 7 January 2013
  7. ↑ [1]
  8. ↑ [2] Archived 7 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Scotland Act 1998, Schedule 5, Part II
  12. ↑ Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 3
  13. ↑ DETI Energy website

External links

Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Department_of_Energy_and_Climate_Change&oldid=721873095"