Report of the Permanent Secretary
Published 20 October 2022
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This year has been another busy and eventful one. Beyond making substantial progress on boosting enterprise, delivering net zero and supporting innovation, the department reacted swiftly and decisively to external crises to support businesses and households.
As part of our response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we passed the Economic Crime Act to increase government’s ability to enforce sanctions. We provided 500 generators to Ukraine in March to power essential facilities. We also developed the British Energy Security Strategy to deliver a more independent and secure energy system for consumers and businesses.
On wider energy issues, we responded quickly to the shutdown of the UK’s main CO2 supplier, mitigating repercussions across agricultural sectors and food manufacturing. Likewise, together with colleagues at the Department of Transport we got petrol to pumps when HGV driver shortages led to supply issues.
It was a landmark year for net zero, with the publication of the Net Zero, Heat & Buildings, and Hydrogen strategies. The UK hosted a successful COP26 in Glasgow in November and is continuing to drive global climate action.
We delivered on big energy projects, with £210 million for Rolls Royce to develop Small Modular Reactors in the UK. Each reactor could power a million homes, making this a potential game-changer in the net zero challenge. We unveiled 69 projects to improve the energy efficiency of social housing across England through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
We moved forward at pace to ensure the UK is a world-leader in research and innovation, and announced allocations across a £39.8 billion R&D budget (the UK’s largest ever) to bring science and business together and turn great ideas into real-world innovations.
To boost enterprise, we launched the Help to Grow schemes helping small businesses across the UK learn new skills, reach new customers, and boost profits.
Following the passing of the National Security & Investment Act, we created a new Investment Security Unit to screen investments such as mergers and acquisitions, to protect national security and provide transparency for businesses.
We also supported workers, announcing plans to make the right to request flexible working a day one right and increasing the National Living Wage with the threshold moving from 25 to 23 years old, giving young people more earning power.
The year brought important organisational changes. As part of the government’s Places for Growth programme, we celebrated opening new offices in Edinburgh and Salford and our third office in Birmingham.
I am proud of everything BEIS achieved this year. We made considerable progress on our missions to tackle climate change, back long-term growth and make the UK a science superpower, while managing unpredictable external events. We enter the new financial year with momentum and confidence.
Sarah Munby
Permanent Secretary and Principal Accounting Officer