Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

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 department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is in charge of things like housing, local communities, and how local government in England works.

It started in May 2006. Before that, it was called the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The main office for MHCLG is in London, at 2 Marsham Street. It shares this building with the Home Office.

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

Who Are the Ministers?
How the Ministry Started
- What is Levelling Up?
- Past Secretaries of State
What the Ministry Does
- Making Planning Digital
Other Groups the Ministry Works With
- Agencies
- Public Bodies
How it Works with Other UK Nations
See also

Who Are the Ministers?

Ministers are like leaders who help run the department. They are chosen by the government. Here are the main ministers at MHCLG:

Minister	Office	What they do
Angela Rayner MP	Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government	She is the main leader. She looks over all the department's work.
Jim McMahon MP	Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution	He helps with local councils and how different English regions are run. He also deals with local taxes and money for councils.
Matthew Pennycook MP	Minister of State for Housing and Planning	He works on building new homes and making sure there are enough places to live. He also helps with rules for planning new buildings.
Alex Norris MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Building Safety, Fire and Local Growth	He focuses on making buildings safe, especially after the Grenfell Tower fire. He also helps with fire services and local area growth.
Rushanara Ali MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Homelessness and Democracy	She works on helping people who are homeless. She also deals with building safety and the Grenfell Inquiry.
Lord Khan of Burnley	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Faith, Communities and Resettlement	He helps with community relations and different faiths. He also works on programs for people who need to be resettled.
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government	She helps with housing plans and working with local councils. She also looks at making homes more energy efficient.

The most senior civil servant (a non-political leader) is Sarah Healey. She started her job in February 2023.

How the Ministry Started

The MHCLG has changed its name a few times!

It began in July 2001 as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). It was led by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott. In May 2002, it became its own department.

In May 2006, the department was renamed the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Ruth Kelly became the first Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Then, in January 2018, it changed its name again to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

In September 2021, it was renamed the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). This new name showed that it had more power to manage money across the whole United Kingdom, not just England.

On 20 February 2021, it was announced that the department would move some of its main offices outside of London. This was part of a plan to spread government jobs around the country. About 500 jobs, including senior staff, moved to Wolverhampton by 2025.

The new Wolverhampton office officially opened on 10 September 2021.

After the 2024 General Election, Angela Rayner became the new Secretary of State on 5 July 2024. The department then went back to its former name, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, on 8 July 2024.

The Office for Local Government ("Oflog") was set up in 2023. It works within the department to provide information about how local governments are doing.

What is Levelling Up?

"Levelling Up" was a big plan to make sure that opportunities and living standards are more equal across the UK. It aimed to improve areas that needed more help.

Some of the ideas for Levelling Up included:

Investing money in towns, cities, and countryside areas.
Giving local areas more say in how money is spent.
Helping people get better skills through training programs.
Supporting farming and fishing industries.
Creating special "freeports" to help poorer communities.

Past Secretaries of State

Here are some of the people who have led 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 the Ministry Does

The MHCLG is in charge of many important things, mostly in England:

Building rules: Making sure buildings are safe and well-built.
Community cohesion: Helping different groups of people in communities get along.
Community safety: Helping communities prepare for and recover from floods or bad weather.
English devolution: Giving more power to local areas in England.
Housing: Making sure people have good places to live.
Local government: Working with local councils.
Planning: Deciding where new buildings and roads can go.
Race equality: Working to make sure everyone is treated fairly, no matter their background.
Urban regeneration: Improving old or run-down parts of cities.

Making Planning Digital

The MHCLG has been working to make town planning easier by using computers and online tools. They have given money to local councils to help them use digital systems for planning.

Other Groups the Ministry Works With

The MHCLG works with other groups to get things done.

Agencies

Planning Inspectorate: This group helps decide on planning appeals.
Queen Elizabeth II Centre: A conference and exhibition centre in London.

Some agencies that used to be part of MHCLG have moved to other departments or been sold. For example, Ordnance Survey moved to a different department in 2011.

Public Bodies

In 2007, the department helped create the Homes and Communities Agency. This agency helps build new homes and improve areas.

The department also worked with the Local Government Association to create groups that help local councils improve their services.

How it Works with Other UK Nations

The UK has "devolved nations" like Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This means they have their own governments that make some decisions. The MHCLG works with similar departments in these nations:

Scotland

Communities Directorates
Learning and Justice Directorates

Northern Ireland

Executive Office (deals with community safety and race relations)
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (local government, planning)
Department of Finance (building rules)
Department of Health (fire services)
Department for Communities (housing, improving cities)

Wales

Welsh Government Department for Local Government and Public Services