DECC finalises ministerial briefs

A little over a week on from the surprise announcement that the government was to form a new Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) the department's full remit and ministerial portfolios has been formally confirmed.

As Secretary of State at the department, Ed Miliband will take responsibility for the UK's overall energy and climate change strategy and also lead the UK in related international and EU negotiations.

Meanwhile, Mike O'Brien MP, previously a minister at the Department of Work and Pensions, will be tasked with delivering the low carbon economy and securing a stable and affordable energy supply for the UK.

As such, he will have specific responsibility for renewable energy; Carbon Capture and Storage; cleaner fossil fuels; nuclear strategy, including radioactive waste and international non-proliferation; energy markets, including the EU emissions trading scheme; the five-year carbon budgets that will be set under the forthcoming climate change bill; planning legislation; licensing, exploration and the offshore environment; resilience and emergencies; and the Energy Bill.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE, previously parliamentary under secretary at the Ministry of Justice, will represent DECC in the House of Lords and will be responsible for the passage of the Energy Bill and the Climate Change Bill.

He will also liaise with Defra on areas of overlapping interest, such as climate change adaptation, waste and air pollution, and will have responsibility for emerging energy and clean technologies, heat supply, including locally distributed energy networks, and coal liabilities such as coal health payments.

Joan Ruddock MP, completes the team as Parliamentary under secretary of State with responsibility for the government's fuel poverty policy; domestic energy efficiency; behaviour change and education programmes, such as Act on CO2; and much of the government's climate change regulatory agenda, including the Climate Change Bill, Climate Change Levy, Climate Change Agreements, and the Carbon Reduction Commitment.

In addition, Ruddock will be responsible for working with other departments, such as transport and local government, to push forward the government's climate change and energy policies.

O'Brien and Ruddock will also support Miliband in international climate negotiations with O'Brien providing in put on energy issues and Ruddock on climate issues.

Moira Wallace has been appointed as Acting Permanent Secretary for the department, while a new web site has also been established.