The approval ensures the government is geared up to deliver for the British people, ensuring the right skills and teams are focused on the Prime Minister’s five promises: to half inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists and stop the boats.

A new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, has been tasked with securing our long-term energy supply, bringing down bills and halving inflation. The move recognises the significant impact rising prices have had on households across the country as a result of Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine, and the need to secure more energy from domestic nuclear and renewable sources as we seize the opportunities of net zero.

A dedicated Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will drive the innovation that will deliver improved public services, create new and better-paid jobs and grow the economy. Having a single department focussed on turning scientific and technical innovations into practical, appliable solutions to the challenges we face will help make sure the UK is the most innovative economy in the world.

A combined Department for Business and Trade will support growth by backing British businesses at home and abroad, promoting investment and championing free trade.

Finally, a re-focused Department for Culture, Media and Sport will recognise the importance of these industries to our economy and build on the UK’s position as a global leader in the creative arts.

Rishi Sunak stated: "The people’s priorities are the Government’s priorities. I began this year by promising the British people I was going to change the way this country works. And we cannot do that – we cannot deliver the people’s priorities – without changing the way our system works.

"To deliver our promises and build a better future, we are making four major changes today.

"The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will focus on giving the UK cheaper, cleaner, more secure sources of energy – cutting bills, cutting emissions, and cutting our dependence on international energy supplies, like those of Putin’s Russia.

"The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will make sure the UK is the country where the next great scientific discoveries are made – and where the brightest minds and the most ambitious entrepreneurs will turn those ideas into companies, products, and services that can change the world.

"The Department for Business and Trade will be a single, coherent voice for business inside government, focused on growing the economy with better regulation, new trade deals abroad, and a renewed culture of enterprise at home.

"And we will streamline and re-focus the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to support and celebrate the immeasurable richness those sectors bring to our national life.

Greater focus, dedicated leadership, and better-targeted resources will help us deliver our promises in the here and now, as we halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists, and stop the boats.

"But these changes will also allow us to build a more prosperous future for our children and grandchildren. Because the countries that will lead the world in the decades to come will be those that have the vision and confidence to adapt and change - to do things differently and better. The new clarity and focus we are providing today will allow our country to rise to this challenge.

"And now, it is the task of every one of us in government – Ministers, advisers, and the hundreds of thousands of dedicated civil servants up and down the country – to get on and deliver for you, the British people."