‘Grave concern’ among MPs over lack of Brexit preparation at BEIS

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has made “virtually no attempt to re-order its priorities” so as to prepare for the UK’s exit from the European Union, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has warned.

BEIS is in charge of 68 of the 313 government work streams on Brexit, more than any other department, according to the Institute for Government. Some of its biggest tasks include ensuring business readiness across 22 industries and developing a nuclear safeguards regime after the UK leaves the European Atomic Energy Community, Euratom.

However the department has “yet to face up to the need” to reprioritise its existing activities in light of this added workload, MPs said in a report published on 2 April. BEIS insists there are very few ongoing activities that it can stop or postpone, they said.