London, UK: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has appointed Grant Shapps as the new energy and net zero secretary in a shake-up of government departments.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has been broken up as part of the reorganisation. Greg Hands has replaced Nadhim Zahawi after the former Tory party chairman was sacked over his tax affairs. Lucy Frazer will head up a streamlined department of culture, media, and sport.
Sunak’s top team of ministers will meet in the coming hours to discuss the changes.
Opposition parties say reorganising government departments will be costly and suggest Mr Sunak’s reshuffle is a sign of weakness. But the government says the changes will help departments focus on the prime minister’s priorities.
Shane Brennan, chief executive, Cold Chain Federation, said: “It’s easy to be cynical when there is a restructure of Government Departments. It is the policy and the delivery that matters more than the name plates on Whitehall buildings, but it can have a positive impact and we welcome the changes made today.
“The creation of a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is a positive step forward. The recent energy crisis must be seen as a foreshadow of the challenges ahead. As we transition to a zero-carbon grid, there will be more issues with energy security, and they must be proactively planned for. Investment is vital from both the government but also the private sector. Important policies like the Climate Change Agreement energy efficiency incentive scheme, that the CCF delivers for UK cold chain, is an important part of that strategy. There is major opportunity to unlock investment but only if business has confidence in the government’s long-term strategy and having a dedicated cabinet minister at the top table will help with that.
“We also welcome the merger of the business department with international trade. The success of businesses across our economy relies on a successful international trade policy, not just the free trade deals we strike but the way we manage the day-to-day challenges of doing business and competing across borders. We will work with the new Business and Trade Secretary to ensure that UK cold chain is a gateway to trade opportunities for businesses in the UK and across the world.”
