All change at the ODPM!

Thought it worth summarising the recent changes in central government that have a bearing on local government.

• The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has been changed into the new Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG)

• The Rt Hon Ruth Kelly MP has been appointed Secretary of State for the new department

• DCLG will also take on new responsibilities for active communities and civic renewal, previously undertaken by the Home Office

• Phil Woolas MP and Yvette Cooper MP stay in their posts as local government Minister and housing and planning Minister

• Angela E Smith MP has been appointed as junior DCLG Minister with a portfolio ncluding local government intervention, Beacons, Capacity Building Fund, and e-Government

• Meg Munn MP has joined the DCLG Ministerial team to lead the department’s work on equalities

• Baroness Andrews has stayed with DCLG to oversee its business in the House of Lords, along with some specific responsibilities including liveability and neighbourhood renewal.

• The Cabinet Office will take on the task of tackling social exclusion, led by the Rt Hon Hilary Armstrong MP

• Ed Miliband MP has joined the Cabinet Office to take responsibility for work with the voluntary and community sector

• In the Department of Health (DH), Ivan Lewis MP has taken over the care services portfolio and Caroline Flint MP has been promoted to Minister for public health

• The Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP has been put in charge of the Department for Education and Skills (Dfes)

• The Rt Hon David Miliband MP has moved from his local government role to lead the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Will be interesting to see how long it takes for the changes to bed down and some useful policy initiatives to emerge. I’m not holding my breath!

The Dissident

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