Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Department overview

Formed	May 2006 (as the Department for Communities and Local Government)
Jurisdiction	Government of the United Kingdom
Headquarters	2 Marsham Street, London, England and i9, Railway Drive, Wolverhampton, England
Annual budget	£28.1 billion (current) & £3.5 billion (capital) for 2011–12
Secretary of State responsible	Angela Rayner MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Deputy Prime Minister
Department executive	Sarah Healey, Permanent Secretary

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is a special part of the UK government. It is in charge of important things like housing, helping communities grow, and managing local councils in England. It was first set up in May 2006. The department shares its main office building in London with the Home Office.

Other parts of the UK, like Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, have their own similar departments. These departments handle community and local government matters in their own areas.

People in Charge
History of MHCLG
- What is Levelling Up?
- Past Secretaries of State
What MHCLG Does
- Making Planning Digital
Groups MHCLG Works With
- Executive Agencies
- Other Public Bodies
Devolution
See also

People in Charge

The MHCLG has several ministers who lead different areas. The most senior minister is called the Secretary of State.

Minister	Job Title	What They Do
Angela Rayner MP	Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government	Oversees all the department's work and big plans.
Jim McMahon MP	Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution	Looks after local councils and how regions in England are run. Handles money for local councils and planning rules.
Matthew Pennycook MP	Minister of State for Housing and Planning	Works on new housing projects and making sure there are enough homes. Deals with rules for building and planning new towns.
Alex Norris MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Democracy and Local Growth	Helps local areas grow and improve. Supports high streets and community projects. Manages funding for local improvements.
Rushanara Ali MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Building Safety and Homelessness	Focuses on making buildings safe, especially after events like the Grenfell Tower fire. Works to help people who are homeless.
Lord Khan of Burnley	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Faith, Communities and Resettlement	Helps communities get along and supports people who have moved to the UK.
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government	Helps with housing plans and works with local councils. Deals with making homes more energy efficient.

The most senior civil servant in the department is the Permanent Secretary, Sarah Healey. She started this job in February 2023.

History of MHCLG

The MHCLG started in July 2001 as part of the Cabinet Office. It was first called the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). It was led by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott.

In May 2002, the ODPM became its own separate department. It took over responsibilities for local government and regions from another department.

During a government change in May 2006, the department was renamed the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Ruth Kelly became the first Secretary of State for this new department.

In January 2018, the department was renamed again to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Then, in September 2021, it changed its name to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). This new name showed its wider role in managing funds across the whole United Kingdom, not just England.

In February 2021, the government announced that MHCLG would be the first government department to have a main office outside of London. About 500 staff members, including senior leaders, will move to Wolverhampton by 2025.

The new Wolverhampton office officially opened on September 10, 2021. The Secretary of State, Robert Jenrick, was there for the opening.

In July 2022, many ministers in the department resigned. The Secretary of State, Michael Gove, also left his job. He was later reappointed in October 2022.

After the 2024 General Election, Angela Rayner became the new Secretary of State. On July 8, 2024, the department went back to its former name: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

What is Levelling Up?

The "Levelling Up" policy started in September 2021. It aims to make different parts of the UK more equal. This means:

Investing money in towns, cities, and rural areas.
Giving local areas more say in how money is spent.
Improving skills through apprenticeships and a special fund.
Helping the farming and fishing industries.
Creating special "freeports" to help poorer communities.

Past Secretaries of State

Here are the people who have been in charge of this department over the years:

David Miliband (2005–2006)
Ruth Kelly (2006–2007)
Hazel Blears (2007–2009)
John Denham (2009–2010)
Eric Pickles (2010–2015)
Greg Clark (2015–2016)
Sajid Javid (2016–2018)
James Brokenshire (2018–2019)
Robert Jenrick (2019–2021)
Michael Gove (2021–2022)
Greg Clark (2022)
Simon Clarke (2022)
Michael Gove (2022–2024)
Angela Rayner (2024 – present)

What MHCLG Does

The department is responsible for government policies in these main areas, mostly in England:

Building rules: Making sure buildings are safe and well-built.
Community spirit: Helping people from different backgrounds live well together.
Community safety: Helping communities prepare for and recover from floods or bad weather.
Local power: Giving more power to local areas in England.
Housing: Making sure there are enough homes for everyone.
Local government: Overseeing how local councils work.
Planning: Deciding where new buildings and developments can go.
Fairness: Working for equality between different racial groups.
City improvements: Making old or run-down city areas better.

The Office for Local Government ("Oflog") was set up in 2023. It is part of the department. Oflog collects information and helps local councils improve their work.

Making Planning Digital

MHCLG teams are working to make town planning easier by using digital tools. They have given money to local councils to help them use technology for planning.

Groups MHCLG Works With

MHCLG works closely with several other groups.

Executive Agencies

These are special organizations that carry out specific tasks for the department:

Planning Inspectorate: This group handles appeals about planning decisions.
Queen Elizabeth II Centre: A conference and exhibition centre in London.

Other Public Bodies

In 2007, plans were made to combine several housing and regeneration groups. This led to the creation of the Homes and Communities Agency. This agency helps build new homes and improve areas.

Devolution

The UK has a system called devolution. This means that Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own governments. These governments make many decisions for their own areas. MHCLG's main partners in these devolved nations are:

Scotland

Communities Directorates
Learning and Justice Directorates

Northern Ireland

Executive Office (deals with community safety and relations)
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (handles local government and planning)
Department of Finance (looks after building rules)
Department of Health (manages fire services)
Department for Communities (deals with housing and improving city areas)

Wales

Welsh Government Department for Local Government and Public Services

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government facts for kids

Contents