Department for Business and Trade explained

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT)^[1] is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It was established on 7 February 2023 by a cabinet reshuffle under the Rishi Sunak premiership. The new department absorbed the functions of the former Department for International Trade and some of the functions of the former Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy.

The department is headed by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, assisted by a number of junior ministers. The incumbent is Jonathan Reynolds.

Background

Foundation

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 were 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 Street 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.

Scrutiny

Since 26 April 2023, the work of the department has been scrutinised by the Business and Trade Select Committee of the House of Commons. This is a renaming of the Business Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, which absorbs the responsibilities of the dissolved International Trade Committee.^{[3] [4]}

History

The department was responsible for finalising negotiations for the UK's to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership in April 2023, a free-trade agreement (FTA) between 11 countries around the Pacific Rim: Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Japan. It successfully concluded an agreement after two years of negotiations.^{[5] [6]}

In April 2021, The Lord Grimstone of Boscobel established the UK Investment Council under the DBT to enhance UK inward investment and inform the trade policy of the UK by providing a forum for global investors to offer high-level advice to the government.

In May 2023, the Minister for Investment, The Lord Johnson of Lainston, became the first UK government minister to visit Hong Kong since 2018, and the first since the imposition of a new national security law by Beijing in the Special Administration Region.^[7]

In May 2023, the department announced that it had commenced negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement with Switzerland.^{[6] [8]}

Ministers

The DBT ministers are as follows, with cabinet members in bold:

width=95x	Minister	Portrait	Office	Portfolio
The Rt Hon Jonathan Reynolds MP		Secretary of State for Business and Trade	Overall responsibility for the department. Responsible for leading on departmental strategy and delivering on the department's responsibilities. Also responsible for engaging with business across government, and for making necessary public appointments. The Secretary of State is responsible for leading UK government representation during free trade agreement negotiations, outlining mandates, and making decisions. The Secretary of State also leads UK government representation at meetings of the World Trade Organization, and at ministerial meetings of the G7 and G20 where the Secretary of State is further responsible for developing and maintaining the UK's overseas business network.[9] As President of the Board of Trade, the Secretary of State is responsible for leading engagement with the whole of the UK on the UK’s global trade and investment agenda. The role is held concurrently with her position as Secretary of State for Business and Trade.[10]
		Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security	Trade strategy; free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations; UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) Implementation; Digital Trade Agreements; UK Conformity Assessment (UKCA); Mutual Recognition Agreements; Windsor Framework; investor treaties and disputes; investor screening; UK Internal Market ; trade defence; bilateral trade relations; World Trade Organization (WTO), G7, G20, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Commonwealth; trade remedies; tariffs and disputes; global supply chains; economic security; Export Control Joint Unit; sanctions; Trade Remedies Authority
		Minister of State for Industry	Advanced manufacturing; automotive; aerospace; defence; consumer goods; chemicals and plastics; construction; infrastructure; maritime and shipbuilding; steel; materials and critical minerals; Industrial Development Advisory Board
		Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Services, Small Business and Exports	Local growth; small businesses; Post Office; scale-ups; retail and hospitality; Professional and Business Services; access to finance ; Ukraine reconstruction; export; strategy; export support service; outward direct investment; trade missions, shows and campaigns; Osaka Expo; UK Export Finance (UKEF); trade envoys; British Business Bank; Small Business Commissioner
		Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets	Employment rights; regulation; consumer protection; competition policy; subsidy control; corporate governance; Smart Data; audit; insolvency; postal services (including Royal Mail); corporate minister (SR/Business); Low Pay Commission; Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas); Companies House; Competition and Markets Authority; The Insolvency Service; Competition Service; Competition Appeal Tribunal; Central Arbitration Committee; Certification Officer; Office of the Regulator of; Community Interest Companies; Groceries Code Adjudicator; Pubs Code Adjudicator; British Hallmarking Council; Financial Reporting Council; Regulatory Policy Committee
The Baroness Jones of Whitchurch		Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Future Digital Economy and Online Safety	Online safety and counter-disinformation; Digital Markets Unit; Tech policy and market facing technology, including skills; National Data Library; International strategy, including electronic trade; Economic security; Technology diffusion; Technology investment; National security and resilience; Geospatial Commission
		Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Legislation	Business policy in Lords legislation

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.

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.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Compensation scheme for Group Litigation Order case postmasters: privacy notice - GOV.UK . gov.uk . 10 February 2023 . 10 February 2023.
2. Book: Making Government Deliver for the British People: Updating the machinery of government for the world of today and of tomorrow . 7 February 2023 . UK Government . 7 February 2023 . PDF. Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
3. Web site: International Trade Committee dissolved and Business and Trade Committee formed . House of Commons . 18 May 2023.
4. Web site: Business and Trade Committee Commons Select Committee . House of Commons . 18 May 2023.
5. Web site: Kane . James . Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) . Institute for Government . Institute for Government . 18 May 2023 . en . 18 April 2023.
6. News: Business and Trade Department marks 100-day milestone . 18 May 2023 . GOV.UK . 17 May 2023 . en.
7. News: British investment minister visits Hong Kong, first official visit in 5 years . 18 May 2023 . Reuters . Reuters . 9 May 2023 . en.
8. News: Wood . Zoe . Kemi Badenoch flying to Switzerland to discuss post-Brexit trade deal . 18 May 2023 . The Guardian . 14 May 2023.
9. Web site: Secretary of State for Business and Trade - GOV.UK . GOV.UK . HM Government . 18 May 2023 . en.
10. Web site: Board of Trade . GOV.UK . HM Government . 18 May 2023 . en. Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.