Overview

This bill proposes to abolish the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and transfer all its responsibilities, staff, assets, and liabilities to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

Description

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (Abolition) Bill aims to dissolve DECC entirely. All its functions, including policy making and regulatory responsibilities related to energy and climate change, will be taken over by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. This includes the transfer of all staff, assets, liabilities, and contractual obligations. Importantly, the bill explicitly states that employment protections under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 will not apply to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change or the Minister of State for DECC.

Government Spending

The bill is expected to result in savings through the streamlining of government departments and potential reduction in administrative costs. However, specific figures regarding potential cost savings are not provided in the bill text itself. There may be transition costs associated with the merger.

Groups Affected

Groups potentially affected include:

• DECC Staff: Their employment will transfer to BIS, though the bill clarifies that certain senior roles will not be subject to employment protection regulations.
• Businesses in the Energy and Climate Change sectors: They may experience changes in their interactions with government, as their point of contact shifts from DECC to BIS.
• Environmental groups and campaigners: The shift in departmental responsibility could impact the prioritization of climate change issues within the government.
• The public: The public may experience changes in how government services related to energy and climate change are delivered.

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