It was created by the Gordon Brown premiership on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

It was disbanded by the Theresa May premiership on the creation of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 14 July 2016.

[2] The Permanent Secretary was Sir Martin Donnelly.

Scotland Reserved matters:[4] The Scottish Government Economy and Education Directorates handle devolved economic and further and higher education policy respectively.

Northern Ireland Reserved matters:[5] Excepted matter:[6] The department's main counterparts are:[7] Wales Under the Welsh devolution settlement, specific policy areas are transferred to the Welsh Government rather than reserved to Westminster.