The Department for Communities and Local Government is a United Kingdom government department. It was formed in May 2002 as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), headed by the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, John Prescott. On 5 May 2006, it was renamed and Ruth Kelly made the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The Deputy Prime Minister is now a "Minister without portfolio" and his office has purely secretarial functions.

It is responsible for the following issues, according to the ODPM website (as of June 2005)

• Building Regulations
• Civil Resilience
• Fire
• Homelessness
• Housing
• Local Government
• Neighbourhood Renewal
• Planning
• Regions
• Social Exclusion
• Sustainable Communities
• Urban Policy

The department has many offices including 26 Whitehall, Eland House and Ashdown House in London. It is in charge of the Government Offices in the 9 regions of England.

Ministers and civil servants

• Secretary of State: Ruth Kelly
  • Minister of State: Phil Woolas
  • Minister of State: Yvette Cooper
    • Parliamentary Under Secretary: Angela Smith
    • Parliamentary Under Secretary (Women and Equality): Meg Munn
    • Parliamentary Under Secretary: Baroness Andrews

The Permanent Secretary is Peter Housden.

See also

• Council House
• Housing Corporation
• Housing estate
• Town and Country Planning in the United Kingdom
• Energy efficiency in British housing

External links

• Department for Communities and Local Government
• Organisational chart (PDF)