Formed 2008 Jurisdiction United Kingdom Website www.gov.uk/decc Headquarters London | Dissolved 14 July 2016 Child Department Oil and Gas Authority Founded 2008 | |
 | ||
Annual budget £1.5 billion (current) & £1.5 billion (capital) in 2011–12 Profiles | ||
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was 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 was led at time of closure by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Amber Rudd MP. Following Theresa May's appointment as Prime Minister in July 2016, the department was disbanded and merged with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to form the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy under Greg Clark MP.
Contents
- Secretaries of State
- Ministers of State
- Management
- Department of Energy and Climate Change Abolition Bills 201415 and 201516
- Devolution
- References
The Department released a major White Paper in July 2009 setting out its purpose and plans. The majority of DECC's budget was spent on managing the UK's historic nuclear sites, in 2012/13 this being 69% of its budget spent through the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The costs to UK government of nuclear decommissioning are expected to increase when the last of the UK's Magnox reactors are shut down and no longer produce an income.
Secretaries of State
Ministers of State
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.
Mr Bone reintroduced his Bill on the 29th June 2015. It did not progress beyond its first reading. However, the proposed disbanding and merger did occur shortly after the appointment of Theresa May as Prime Minister.
Devolution
The devolution of energy policy varies around the United Kingdom; most aspects in Great Britain are decided at Westminster. Key reserved and excepted energy matters (i.e. not devolved) are as follows:
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Nuclear energy is excepted.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is responsible for general energy policy.
Wales
Under the Welsh devolution settlement, specific policy areas are transferred to the National Assembly for Wales rather than reserved to Westminster.