The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced a shuffle of ministerial responsibilities.
The Secretary of State, Ed Miliband MP will lead the Government on:
• Overall strategy
• Leading for the UK in key international and EU negotiations
The Minister of State, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE is responsble for ensuring secure,
low carbon and affordable energy supply and in particular:
• Energy security, long-term energy projections and strategy
• Markets, prices and regulatory framework
• Low carbon energy supply:
- Renewable energy (including Severn tidal power)
- Renewable heat
- Nuclear strategy and delivery
- Carbon Capture & Storage/cleaner fossil fuels
- Development of the gas and electricity grid, “smart grids” and the smart meter programme
• Nuclear safety, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, radioactive waste and international non-proliferation
• Development consents and planning
• Licensing and exploration
• Offshore environment and decommissioning
• Low Carbon Industrial Strategy
• Supports Secretary of State on international energy
He will also represent the DECC in the House of Lords
The Minister of State, Joan Ruddock MP is responsible for encouraging behaviour change across UK society and an ambitious global agreement to deliver carbon reduction in a fair and effective way and specifically.
• Domestic energy savings strategy and delivery, including:
- Carbon Emissions Reduction Target
- Community Energy Savings Programme
- Prime Minister’s home insulation targets
- Work of the Energy Savings Trust
- Encouraging the public to change their behaviour, including Act on CO2
• EU Emissions trading and global carbon markets
• Carbon Budgets
• Carbon Reduction Commitment, Climate Change Levy and Climate Change Agreements
• Greening DECC
• Sponsorship of Energy Saving Trust, Carbon Trust
• Links between mitigation and adaptation policy, and links to the sustainable production agenda (Working with DEFRA)
• Supporting the Secretary of State on international negotiations on climate change and in promoting national debate in the run up to Copenhagen
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, David Kidney MP is responsible for supporting the Secretary of State and Ministers of State across their remit, and leading on:
• Fuel Poverty Strategy, including delivery and oversight of the Warm Front programme
• Promoting the interests of energy consumers
• Coal liabilities including coal health payments
• Emergency preparedness in the power sector
• Energy innovation and emerging technologies
• Skills in the energy and low carbon sector
More information can be obtained from www.decc.gov.uk
