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Department for Communities and Local Government
 
 
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The Department for Communities and Local Government or "DCLG" is the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 government department
Departments of the United Kingdom Government

Her Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom contains a number of Minister s and Secretary of State . These members of the Cabinet are supported by civil servants in Ministerial Departments....
 for communities and local government since May 2006. The department originated in 2001 as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Background
The DCLG was formed in July 2001 as part of the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office

The Cabinet Office is a United Kingdom government department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
 with the title Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), headed by the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is a senior member of the British Cabinet. There is not always a Deputy Prime Minister; the office itself is not part of the UK's uncodified constitution, nor does the Government possess a formal permanent office of Deputy Prime Minister....
, John Prescott
John Prescott

John Leslie Prescott is a United Kingdom Labour Party politician, former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Secretary of State and current Member of Parliament for the constituency of Kingston upon Hull East ....
. 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.






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The Department for Communities and Local Government or "DCLG" is the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 government department
Departments of the United Kingdom Government

Her Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom contains a number of Minister s and Secretary of State . These members of the Cabinet are supported by civil servants in Ministerial Departments....
 for communities and local government since May 2006. The department originated in 2001 as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Background


The DCLG was formed in July 2001 as part of the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office

The Cabinet Office is a United Kingdom government department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
 with the title Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), headed by the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is a senior member of the British Cabinet. There is not always a Deputy Prime Minister; the office itself is not part of the UK's uncodified constitution, nor does the Government possess a formal permanent office of Deputy Prime Minister....
, John Prescott
John Prescott

John Leslie Prescott is a United Kingdom Labour Party politician, former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Secretary of State and current Member of Parliament for the constituency of Kingston upon Hull East ....
. 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. During the 5 May 2006 reshuffle of Blair's government
Blair Ministry

Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for three successive Parliament of the United Kingdom terms from 1997-2007. His Cabinet of the United Kingdom was Cabinet shuffle for each new parliament as well as changed during the three periods....
, it was renamed and Ruth Kelly
Ruth Kelly

Ruth Maria Kelly is a United Kingdom Labour Party Politics of the United Kingdom, currently Member of Parliament for the Bolton West constituency, though she will stand down as MP at the Next United Kingdom general election....
 became Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, is a Cabinet position heading the UK's Department for Communities and Local Government....
. The Deputy Prime Minister became a minister without portfolio
Minister without Portfolio

A Minister without Portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry ....
 supported by a Deputy Prime Minister's Office. Hazel Blears
Hazel Blears

Hazel Anne Blears, Member of Parliament is a United Kingdom politician and is the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Salford . She was Minister without Portfolio and Labour Party Chair between 5 May 2006 and 24 June 2007....
 was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 28 June 2007. The department is unusual in having two ministers attending Cabinet as the Housing Minister - currently Rt Hon Margaret Beckett
Margaret Beckett

Margaret Mary Beckett is a British politician for the Labour Party . She is the Member of Parliament for Derby South and the current Minister of State for Housing and Planning....
 MP
Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators....
 - also attends the weekly meetings as of right although she is not a full member.

Functions


The DCLG is responsible for largely the same areas listed on the ODPM website (from June 2005). They are:
  • Building Regulations
  • Civil Resilience
  • Fire and the Fire Service in the UK
  • Homelessness
    Homelessness

    Homelessness is the condition and social category of people who lack housing, because they cannot afford, or are otherwise unable to maintain, regular, safe, and adequate shelter....
  • Housing
  • Local Government
    Subdivisions of England

    The subdivisions of England consists of as many as four levels of administrative division and at some levels there are a variety of types of administrative entity....
  • Neighbourhood Renewal
  • Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme
    Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme

    The Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme is a co-operative programme in the United Kingdom between Residency and Stakeholder s such as the Local government, businesses etc aimed at improving specific deprived neighbourhoods....
  • Neighbourhood Renewal Fund
    Neighbourhood Renewal Fund

    Neighbourhood Renewal Fund is a form of Local Government in the United Kingdom finance in England, launched by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in July 2000....


  • Planning
    Town and country planning in the United Kingdom

    Town and Country Planning is the land use planning system by which governments seek to maintain a balance between economic development and environmental quality....
  • Regions
    Regions of England

    The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of Local government in England sub-national entity of England, with only one, London, having a directly elected assembly....
  • Social Exclusion
  • Sustainable Communities
    Sustainable Communities Plan

    The Sustainable Communities Plan was launched in 2003 and is a key policy of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in guiding its regeneration and departmental objectives....
  • Urban Policy


On its creation it also assumed the community policy function of the Home Office
Home Office

The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security and order. As such it is responsible for the police, United Kingdom Borders Agency and MI5....
 and has since established the 'Commission on Integration and Cohesion', and the now separate Government Equalities Office
Government Equalities Office

The Government Equalities Office is a Departments of the United Kingdom Government. It was created in October 2007 when the Women and Equality Unit, based within the Department for Communities and Local Government was converted into an independent department....
.

In January 2007, Ruth Kelly announced proposals to bring together the delivery functions of the Housing Corporation
Housing Corporation

The Housing Corporation was the non-departmental public body that funded new affordable housing and regulated housing associations in England. It was established by the Housing Act 1964....
, English Partnerships
English Partnerships

English Partnerships was the national urban renewal agency for England, performing a similar role on a national level to that fulfilled by Regional Development Agency on a Regions of England level....
 and parts of Communities and Local Government to form a new unified housing and regeneration agency, the Homes and Communities Agency
Homes and Communities Agency

The Homes and Communities Agency is the non-departmental public body that funds new affordable housing in England. It was established by the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 as one of the successor bodies to the Housing Corporation, and became operational on 1 December 2008....
 (initially announced as "Communities England"), which became operational in December 2008. The department has many offices including 26 Whitehall
Whitehall

Whitehall is a road in Westminster in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards traditional Charing Cross, now at the southern end of Trafalgar Square and marked by the statue of Charles I of England, which is often regarded as the heart of London....
, Eland House
Eland House

Eland House is an office building in Westminster, London occupied by the Department for Communities and Local Government. It was designed by EPR Architects and built by Mowlem for Land Securities, completed in 1998....
 and Ashdown House in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
. It is in charge of the Government Office
Government Office

Government Offices are the primary means by which a wide range of policies and programmes of the Government of the United Kingdom are delivered in the regions of England....
s in the nine regions of England
Regions of England

The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of Local government in England sub-national entity of England, with only one, London, having a directly elected assembly....
.

Ministers and civil servants

  • Secretary of State
    Secretary of State

    Secretary of State is a commonly used title for a member of government. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the government....
    : The Rt Hon. Hazel Blears, MP
    Hazel Blears

    Hazel Anne Blears, Member of Parliament is a United Kingdom politician and is the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Salford . She was Minister without Portfolio and Labour Party Chair between 5 May 2006 and 24 June 2007....
    • Minister of State
      Minister of State

      Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior Political minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet ....
       for Local Government: John Healey, MP
      John Healey

      John Healey is a United Kingdom politician. He is the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Wentworth and Minister of State in the Department for Communities and Local Government....
    • Minister of State
      Minister of State

      Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior Political minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet ....
       for Housing and Planning: The Rt Hon. Margaret Beckett, MP
      Margaret Beckett

      Margaret Mary Beckett is a British politician for the Labour Party . She is the Member of Parliament for Derby South and the current Minister of State for Housing and Planning....
       (also attends cabinet)
      • Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Iain Wright, MP
        Iain Wright

        Iain David Wright is a United Kingdom Labour Party politician, currently Member of Parliament for Hartlepool and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government....
      • Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: Sadiq Khan, MP
        Sadiq Khan

        Sadiq Aman Khan is a United Kingdom Labour Party politician. He was elected Member of Parliament for Tooting in the UK general election, 2005, succeeding Tom Cox as the Labour MP for the seat....
      • Parliamentary Under Secretary: Lady Andrews, OBE
        Kay Andrews, Baroness Andrews

        Kay Andrews, Baroness Andrews Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom Labour Party politician.Andrews worked as a Parliamentary Clerk from 1970-85....


The Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary

The Permanent Secretary, in most departments officially titled the Permanent Under-Secretary of State , is the most senior British Civil Service of a Her Majesty's Government Ministry , charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis....
 is Peter Housden
Peter Housden

Peter Housden is Permanent Under-Secretary of the Department for Communities and Local Government , a post he has held since October 2005.Housden is unusual for a senior civil servant, having been educated at a comprehensive school, and having neither graduated from Oxbridge nor worked in the Civil Service for a great number of years....
.

See also

  • United Kingdom budget
    United Kingdom budget

    The United Kingdom budget in the field of Public finance deals with HM Treasury budgeting the revenues gathered by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and expenditures of public sector departments, in compliance with government policy....
  • Council house
    Council house

    The council house is a form of public housing in the United Kingdom. Council houses were built and operated by local Municipality to supply uncrowded, well built homes on secure tenancies at affordable rents to the local population....
  • Energy efficiency in British housing
    Energy efficiency in British housing

    Domestic housing in the United Kingdom presents a possible opportunity for achieving the 20% overall cut in UK carbon dioxide emissions targeted by the Government for 2010....
  • English Partnerships
    English Partnerships

    English Partnerships was the national urban renewal agency for England, performing a similar role on a national level to that fulfilled by Regional Development Agency on a Regions of England level....
  • Housing Corporation
    Housing Corporation

    The Housing Corporation was the non-departmental public body that funded new affordable housing and regulated housing associations in England. It was established by the Housing Act 1964....
  • Housing estate
    Housing estate

    A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance....
  • Social Exclusion Task Force
    Social Exclusion Task Force

    The Social Exclusion Task Force is a part of the Cabinet Office that provides the UK Government with strategic advice and policy analysis in its drive against social exclusion....


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