An image encoding apparatus configured to divide an image into blocks and to encode the image in units of blocks, the image encoding apparatus comprising: acquiring means configured to acquire information on a block size of a block to be encoded and configured to acquire information on a minimum block size used to control a quantization parameter; information encoding means configured to encode the information on the minimum block size used to control a quantization parameter; checking means configured to check whether the block to be encoded is a block that is divided and, for blocks that are not divided, checking whether the block size of the block to be encoded is greater than or equal to the minimum bock size used to control a quantization parameter; and encoding means; wherein, if the block size of the block to be encoded is greater than or equal to the minimum block size used to control a quantization parameter: the acquiring means is configured to acquire a first quantization parameter for the block to be encoded and the information encoding means is configured to encode a first difference value between the first quantization parameter and a quantization parameter used to code a previous block; and the encoding means is configured to encode the block to be encoded using the first quantization parameter; otherwise: the acquiring means is configured to acquire a second quantization parameter for the block to be encoded and the information encoding means is configured to encode a second difference value between the second quantization parameter and a quantization parameter used to code a previous block in the case that: the second difference value has not been previously encoded for a block from a group of blocks which is obtained by division of a block having a block size equal to the minimum block size used to control a quantization parameter and comprises the block to be encoded; and the block to be encoded is the first block in the group of blocks, in an order of encoding, which includes a quantized transform coefficient that is not equal to zero; and the encoding means is further configured to encode the block to be encoded from the group of blocks using the second quantization parameter, and to encode a subsequent block from the group of blocks, in the order of encoding, using the second quantization parameter in the case that: the subsequent block from the group of blocks includes a quantized transform coefficient that is not equal to zero. acquiring means configured to acquire information on a block size of a block to be encoded and configured to acquire information on a minimum block size used to control a quantization parameter; information encoding means configured to encode the information on the minimum block size used to control a quantization parameter; checking means configured to check whether the block to be encoded is a block that is divided and, for blocks that are not divided, checking whether the block size of the block to be encoded is greater than or equal to the minimum bock size used to control a quantization parameter; and encoding means; wherein, if the block size of the block to be encoded is greater than or equal to the minimum block size used to control a quantization parameter: the acquiring means is configured to acquire a first quantization parameter for the block to be encoded and the information encoding means is configured to encode a first difference value between the first quantization parameter and a quantization parameter used to code a previous block; and the encoding means is configured to encode the block to be encoded using the first quantization parameter; otherwise: the acquiring means is configured to acquire a second quantization parameter for the block to be encoded and the information encoding means is configured to encode a second difference value between the second quantization parameter and a quantization parameter used to code a previous block in the case that: the second difference value has not been previously encoded for a block from a group of blocks which is obtained by division of a block having a block size equal to the minimum block size used to control a quantization parameter and comprises the block to be encoded; and the block to be encoded is the first block in the group of blocks, in an order of encoding, which includes a quantized transform coefficient that is not equal to zero; and the acquiring means is configured to acquire a first quantization parameter for the block to be encoded and the information encoding means is configured to encode a first difference value between the first quantization parameter and a quantization parameter used to code a previous block; and the encoding means is configured to encode the block to be encoded using the first quantization parameter; the second difference value has not been previously encoded for a block from a group of blocks which is obtained by division of a block having a block size equal to the minimum block size used to control a quantization parameter and comprises the block to be encoded; and the block to be encoded is the first block in the group of blocks, in an order of encoding, which includes a quantized transform coefficient that is not equal to zero; and