New Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

28 06 2007 United Kingdom

John Hutton takes over at new Department for Business as part of government shake-up

Gordon Brown has appointed John Hutton to head the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, a new department that replaces the Department of Trade & Industry.

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform or ‘BERR’ will will promote a strong enterprise economy and the creation growth of business, greater competition and better regulation for the private and public sectors.

John Hutton was the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Previously he was a health minister and Parliamentary Private Secretary to Margaret Beckett when she was Secretary of State at the DTI.

John Hutton said: "My priority will be to deliver the business environment Britain needs to continue to prosper and compete in global markets.

"It is the success of businesses that will underpin wealth creation and opportunity for everyone in Britain. To support that success, I will build deeper, more effective relationships with the business community and promote the competitiveness agenda across Government."

DTI Footnote

The Department of Trade & Industry was formed after the 1983 General Election when Margaret Thatcher merged the Departments of Industry and Trade.

In 1992 Michael Heseltine was appointed President of the Board of Trade and the Department of Energy merged with the DTI.

Peter Mandelson was Secretary of State for Trade and Industry briefly in 1998, being succeeded by Stephen Byers and in 2001 by Patricia Hewitt.

In 2005 the DTI's name was changed to the Department for Productivity, Energy and Industry under under Alan Johnson, but within a week the old name had been reinstated.

The Rt Hon Alistair Darling, a close ally of Tony Blair and friend of Gordon Brown, was appointed Secretary of State at the DTI in May 2006.

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