Department for Communities and Local Government
| Department for Communities and Local Government | |
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| Logo of the Department for Communities and Local Government |
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| Department overview | |
| Formed | May 2006 |
| Jurisdiction | England |
| Headquarters | Eland House London, England |
| Annual budget | £28.1 billion (current) & £3.5 billion (capital) for 2011-12 [1] |
| Minister responsible | The Rt Hon. Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government |
| Website | |
| Department for Communities and Local Government | |
| United Kingdom | |
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The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001. Its headquarters is located at Eland House, London.
There are corresponding departments in the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, responsible for communities and local government in their respective jurisdictions.
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[edit] Ministers
The Communities and Local Government ministers are as follows: [2]
| Minister | Rank | Portfolio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP | Secretary of State | Overall responsibility | |
| The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP | Minister of State | Decentralisation, planning policy, cities | |
| The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP | Minister of State | Housing, local government, regeneration | |
| Andrew Stunell OBE MP | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State | Community cohesion | |
| Bob Neill MP | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State | Fire and resilience | |
| Baroness Hanham CBE | Parliamentary Under Secretary of State | Productivity, transparency, Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre | |
| Key | Conservative | |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrat |
Greg Clark works jointly between the department and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.[3]
The Permanent Secretary is Sir Bob Kerslake who took up his post on 1 November 2010.[4]
[edit] Background
DCLG was formed in July 2001 as part of the Cabinet Office with the title Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), headed by the then Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott. In May 2002 the ODPM became a separate department after absorbing the local government and regions portfolios from the defunct Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. The ODPM was criticised in some quarters for adding little value and the Environmental Audit Committee had reported negatively on the department in the past.[5][6] During the 5 May 2006 reshuffle of Tony Blair's government, it was renamed and Ruth Kelly became the first Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
[edit] Responsibilities
The department is responsible for UK Government policy in the following areas, mainly in England:[7]
- building regulations
- community cohesion
- decentralisation
- fire services and resilience
- housing
- local government
- planning
- race equality
- the Thames Gateway
- urban regeneration
On its creation it also assumed the community policy function of the Home Office. Ministers have since established the Commission on Integration and Cohesion, and the now separate Government Equalities Office.
[edit] Executive agencies
The department was previously responsible for Ordnance Survey, however on 18 July 2011 it was transferred to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.[8]
[edit] Non-departmental public bodies
In January 2007, Ruth Kelly announced proposals to bring together the delivery functions of the Housing Corporation, English Partnerships and parts of the Department for Communities and Local Government to form a new unified housing and regeneration agency, the Homes and Communities Agency. Initially announced as Communities England, it became operational in December 2008. This also includes the Academy for Sustainable Communities. 2008 was also the year that the department along with the Local Government Association produced the National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy [9] which led to the creation of 9 Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs) with devolved funding of £185m to drive sector led improvement for councils.
[edit] Devolution
Its main counterparts in the devolved nations of the UK are as follows.
Scotland
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This section requires expansion. |
Northern Ireland
- Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (civil resilience, community cohesion, race relations)
- Department of the Environment (local government, planning)
- Department of Finance and Personnel (building regulations)
- Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (fire services)
- Department for Social Development (housing, urban regeneration)
Wales
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This section requires expansion. |
[edit] See also
- United Kingdom budget
- Council house
- Energy efficiency in British housing
- Homes and Communities Agency
- English Partnerships
- Housing Corporation
- Housing estate
- Social Exclusion Task Force
- Local Government Association
- Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs)
[edit] References
- ^ Budget 2011. London: HM Treasury. 2011. p. 48. http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget_complete.pdf. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ Cabinet Office List of Government Departments and Ministers: Department for Communities and Local Government
- ^ Ministers: Greg Clark MP
- ^ New Permanent Secretary for Communities and Local Government
- ^ http://www.building.co.uk/news/environmental-report-slams-odpm-over-sustainable-code/3065079.article
- ^ Knight, Sam (5 May 2006). "Prescott loses his dream home the megadepartment". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article713811.ece.
- ^ Cabinet Office List of Ministerial Responsibilities, July 2010
- ^ Ordnance Survey becomes part of Department for Business Innovation and Skills
- ^ National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy
[edit] External links
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