A week on from the Cabinet reshuffle, The Government has published the list of responsibilities each of the new team will be undertaking.
Rt. Hon. Ed Miliband MP, as Secretary of State has overall responsibilty for all policy decisions at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and represents the department within the Cabinet.
Assisiting him are the Junior Ministers.
Michael Shanks MP, is the Minister of State for Energy, and he is responsible for UK Energy Policy. His remit covers Clean Power 2030, Great British Energy,renewable and biomass energy, energy infrastructure (systems, the grid and networks), energy market reform,energy security, resilience and preparedness, North Sea transition, oil and gas refineries, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen,Powering AI, and the Energy Independence Bill. Before politics he was a school teacher. (He has had a slight promotion in job title but is mostly doing what he was doing previously.)
Katie White OBE MP, is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for
Climate, and she is responsible for international climate and energy
policy, carbon budgets and Net Zero strategy, citizen engagement, local
Net Zero, green finance, and methane emissions. She previously worked
for the Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC), so has some
knowledge of how civil servants in DESNZ deliver on policy objectives,
and was a Director at Friends of the Earth and at WWF. Her OBE was for
services to tackling Climate Change. (She has replaced Kerry McCarthy
MP.)
Martin McCluskey MP, is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Consumers, and is responsible for policy that affects domestic energy users. His brief covers; the Warm Homes Plan, fuel poverty,energy consumer issues, domestic energy bills, Ofgem (the energy price cap and smart meters), domestic energy efficiency, public sector decarbonisation, clean heat and Boiler Upgrade Scheme, heat networks, decarbonisation of business and commercial buildings, and the Ofgem Review. Previously he worked in communications and campaigning in charity and community sectors before becoming a Local Councillor in Inverclyde Council. (He has replaced Miatta Fahnbulleh MP.)
Chris McDonald MP, is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Industry, and is responsible for policy that affects energy businesses and industry. His brief covers; Office For Clean Energy Jobs, green jobs and skills, green growth sectors, energy sector supply chains, energy infrastructure investments, industrial decarbonisation and emissions trading, carbon leakage, industrial energy bills. He is also a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry in the Department for Business & Trade. Previously he worked as a Chemical Engineer and lead industrial materials research for TATA Steel. (He has replaced Sarah Jones MP)
Lord (Sir Patrick) Vallance, is the Minister of State for Energy in the House of Lords, and he will be responsible for answering questions on all subjects related to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, from Peers in the House of Lords. He will also have the departmental brief for nuclear power, fusion, science & innovation for climate & energy, and AI in the energy sector. Previously Sir Patrick was the Government's Chief Scientific Officer.