Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

This article is part of the Counter-Terrorism Portal project of Spinwatch.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities was created in September 2021. It was formerly known as The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (from January 2018 to 2021) and prior to that as the Department for Communities and Local Government(created in May 2006 as the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001). (branded as Communities and Local Government and referred to as the DCLG) is the United Kingdom government department for communities and local government since May 2006. The department originated in 2001 as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Eric Pickles is the current Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, taking over from John Denham MP after the May 2010 election.

Background

The department was formed in July 2001 as part of the Cabinet Office with the title Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), headed by the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, John Prescott. 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, it was renamed and Ruth Kelly was made the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The Deputy Prime Minister became a minister without portfolio and his office had purely secretarial functions. Hazel Blears was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 28 June 2007. Yvette Cooper used to be employed with this department, but has since got a new job in the Treasury.

In May 2006 a large chunk of the Home Office that used to deal with Muslim issues moved to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). On its creation it also assumed the community policy function of the Home Office and has since established the 'Commission on Integration and Cohesion' and the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights.

People

Ministers

• Robert Jenrick -Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government appointed July 2019 by incoming PM Boris Johnson
• Esther McVey - minister of state appointed July 2019 by incoming PM Boris Johnson
• Jake Berry MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth)
• Luke Hall MP - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Former

• James Brokenshire - communities secretary to June 2019
• Alok Sharma Minister of State for Housing and Planning
• Marcus Jones - Parliamentary Under Secretary from 2015 (Minister for Local Government)
• Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister for Faith (and Northern Ireland)
• Greg Clark - Secretary of State 2015-16
• Brandon Lewis - Minister of State for Housing and Planning 2014-6/7
• Mark Francois - Minister of State for Portsmouth, Communities and Resilience 2015-
• Sajid Javid Secretary of State July 2016-
• James Wharton - Parliamentary Under Secretary 2015-2017
• Baroness Williams of Trafford - Parliamentary Under Secretary
• Eric Pickles - Secretary of State 2010-2015 (also minister for faith)
• Brandon Lewis - Minister of State for Housing and Planning from July 2014 until July 2016, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State from September 2012 until July 2014
• Stephen Williams - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
• Kris Hopkins - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
• Penny Mordaunt - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
• Tariq Ahmad - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
• John Denham - Secretary of State 2009-10
• Hazel Blears - Secretary of State 2007-09
• Grant Shapps - Minister of State for Housing and Local Government 2010-2012
• John Healey - Minister of State for Housing and Local Government
• Andrew Stunell OBE MP - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State 2010-2012
• Iain Wright - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State until May 2010
• Bob Neill Parliamentary Under Secretary of State 2010-2012
• Parmjit Dhanda Parliamentary Under Secretary of State until May 2008
• Baroness Hanham Parliamentary Under Secretary 2010-2013
• Kay Andrews Parliamentary Under Secretary until May 2010

Civil servants

The Permanent Secretary was Sir Bob Kerslake (Robert), who took up the post on 1 November 2010 and is also Head of the Home Civil Service. Peter Housden was the previous Permanent Secretary (to October 2010).

• Minister of State for Housing and Planning was: The Rt Hon. Caroline Flint, MP (also attended cabinet)

Former special advisers

• Meg Powell-Chandler - spad to Greg Clark since May 2015-16
• Jacob Wilmer - spad to Greg Clark since November 2014 when he was universities minister

Former

• Sheridan Westlake - spad to Eric Pickles from May 2010 to May 2015. Now working for 10 Downing Street.

• Zoe Thorogood - Was appointed as special adviser in charge of media to Eric Pickles in January 2013. Thorogood was an associate director at Luther Pendragon, which she joined in March 2011. Earlier in her career she was a news editor at GMTV for five years, before joining the Conservative Party as head of broadcasting and lifestyle press in 2008. Left after Pickles was replaced by Clark as secretary of state.

• Adam Pritchard - was appointed special adviser to Stephen Williams in July 2013. Previous roles include, senior policy manager for the Liberal Democrats, parliamentary assistant to Sharon Bowles MEP, parliamentary researcher for Greg Mulholland MP as well as a recruitment consultant at Gilds Associates Left at the 2015 general election after the Lib Dems lost their place in government.

Communications

Former

• George Eykyn. Director comms from 2008-2014, now at British Gas.

Initiatives and involvement

The Department for Communities and Local Government is one of the main players in the devising and implementation of the Prevent strand of the British Counter-Terrorism strategy, Contest 2.

Notable examples include:

• The Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund (PVEPF)
• The Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU) - a strategic communications unit within the UK's Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism (OSCT), based in the Home Office and funded by and answerable to the Foreign Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
• National Muslim Women's Advisory Group

Preventing Violent Extremism (Funding by DCLG)

The DCLG has been responsible for the main strand of funding that has been provided to the task of Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE), or Prevent, as it is commonly referred to. In 2007-08, the DCLG funded £6 million for the Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund (PVEPF) to support seventy priority local authorities in England to advance a programme that would “tackle violent extremism.”.

In June 2007, the DCLG also distributed £650,000 through the Community Leadership Fund (CLF) that would build the capacity of Muslims to fight extremism and complement the work being undertaken by local authorities under the PVEPF.

On 31 October 2007, Hazel Blears (the then Secretary of State for the DCLG) announced that the DCLG would provide a total of £45 million worth of funding for local partnerships from a period of April 2008 to March 2011. The £45 million announced by Hazel Blears went to: 76 local authorities in 2008-09, 82 local authorities in 2009-10 and will go to 94 local authorities in 2010-11.

In August 2009, a £7.5 million cash injection was authorised by the DCLG to local authorities in order to enhance the struggle against “al-Qaeda influenced extremism” and to “improve effectiveness of the Prevent programme.”

A further £5.1 million is being distributed over the period of 2009-2011 through the CLF programme.

The Challenge and Innovation Fund totalled to £3.2 million and was allocated in May 2009 (for delivery of projects during 2009-10) by the DCLG to local authorities in England to assist them with preventing violent extremism.

Including smaller avenues of funding, the total money that the DCLG will have allocated to Preventing Violent Extremism from April 2007-11 is estimated to be £80 million, of which £61.7 million will have been through local authorities.

Executive Agencies

• Planning Inspectorate
• Fire Service College
• Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

Funding of community groups

	DCLG Grants 2010 - 2016 (£'000)							MHCLG Grants 2017 - 2021 (£'000)
Institution	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013	2013-2014	2014-2015	2015-2016	2016-2017	2017-2018	2018-2019	2019-2020	2020-2021	2021-2022	Total Amount (£'000)
28 Too Many					7								7
Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE)						100							100
Acta						40							40
Action for Market Towns	85	80											165
Action Foundation				6									6
Adventure Capital Fund	40,052												40,052
Afruca					10								10
After Adoption - Stepping Stones Project	85												85
Aldridge Education										116			116
Al-Haqq Education Trust		2											2
Al-Khoei Benevolent Foundation	104	1											105
Angelou Centre						18							18
Anne Frank Trust		58	103	50	97	64	84	218	170	83	204		1,131
Antisemitism Policy Trust									60	270	173	100	603
Anthony Walker Foundation											269		269
Apasenth				211	353	78	485	496	496				2,119
Arbour			30	51									81
Arc					5								5
Arts Versa Consultancy UK Ltd	5												5
Ashley Community & Housing Ltd										144			144
Ashram Housing Association	50			6									56
Association Of Jewish Refugees											30		30
Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE)									41				41
B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation							31	50			40		121
Behavioural Insights Ltd										852			852
Belper Meadows Community Sports Club											8		8
Big Ideas Community Interest Company							40	399	555	99	110	77	1,280
Big Society Capital Limited											15750		15,750
Birmingham and Solihull Womens Aid					15								15
Birmingham University									79	194	29		302
Black Training and Enterprise Group (BTEG)	100			49	101								250
Board of Deputies of British Jews	2					50	20						72
Bold Creative	70												70
Bolton Solidarity Community Association					16								16
Bradford Trident Ltd			80	27									107
British Association of Settlements and Social Action Centres (BASSAC)	200												200
British Chamber of Commerce (BCC)		68	192	77	22								359
British Sikh Consultative Forum	2	1											3
British Youth Council		25											25
Brook					15								15
Business in The Community (BiTC)		158	363	188	40								749
Cambridge University											10		10
Carnegie UK Trust	200	100											300
Castle Vale Community Housing					48								48
Centre for Ageing Better (CfAB)					200	200	200						600
Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence			59	1040	1193	1016							3,308
Centre for Sustainable Energy	200	100											300
Challenge Network										269			269
Charlton Athletic Community Trust	9												9
Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH)		200	145	110	99								554
Children's Society	19												19
Christian Muslim Forum	3	2											5
Church Urban Fund		1,882	2,375	982	1,500	1,500	1,960	2,150	2,031	1,760	2,710	1,500	20,350
Churches Together in England	4	1							7				12
CIPFA					13								13
Citizens’ Foundation	40												40
Civic Voice	80	25	64		5					55			229
Clapton Common Boys Club								50			15	40	105
Clarets In The Community Ltd										126			126
Clean Up Britain					20								20
Coexistence Trust	4												4
Cohesion & Integration Network (COIN)									50	50			100
Commonwealth and War Graves Commission (CWGC)						40	50						90
Community Development Finance Association (CFDA)				108									108
Community Development Foundation	18,700			50	2,059								20,809
Community Foundation for Calderdale											250		250
Community Matters	200	100											300
Community Security Trust					1000								1,000
Construction Industry Council								30	2				32
Council for Voluntary Service - Arunwide	77												77
Council of Christians and Jews	3	2											5
Council of Dharmic Faiths		2											2
Cranfield University											50	250	300
Cumbria Community Foundation Charity						1000							1,000
Curzon Education Ltd				120									120
CXK Ltd										184			184
Design Council						150		67	27	3			247
Development Trust Association	45												45
Dialogue Society	33												33
Doncaster Community Church Salvation											13		13
Duke Playhouse Ltd									25				25
East London Advanced Technology Training (ELATT)						19							19
Eden Project		36	156										192
Edgware & District Reform Synagogue						11							11
Elderly Accommodation Council (EAC)	1,118	843	673			930							3,564
Enfield Child & Young Persons Service					12								12
Engineering Development Trust			115	180									295
Environmental Law Foundation	85	80											165
Ethnic Minority Benevolent Association Ltd	50												50
Ethnic Minority Foundation	113												113
European Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism (EISCA)		16	34										50
Faith Action				263	875	421		735	734	983	125		4,136
Faith & Belief Forum											184		184
Faith Based Regeneration Network UK	140	77	80	50									347
Faith Matters - Tell Mama	22	92	191	80		182	504	829	892	841	841	841	5,315
FaithnetSouthwest		1											1
Faiths Forum for London		2			21		5	70	9				107
Fayre Share Foundation						125	275	487	799	800	1,850		4,336
Football League Ltd T/A English Football League Trust											288		288
Forensic Therapies - HMP Holloway Project	88												88
Forum for Discussion of Israel and Palestine (FODIP)									62	62			124
Forward					49								49
Friends Families & Travellers									30	65			95
Future for Youth				13									13
Gate Herts								28	28	77			133
Glen Art							14						14
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust								9	72				81
Golden Tours Foundation								48					48
Good Things Foundation							600	2050	1950				4,600
Granby Toxteth Development Trust									29	30			59
Groundwork UK / London						7,877	6,946	2,915		374			18,112
GROW						20							20
GW Theatre Company	75												75
Hackney Community and Volunteer Sector				6									6
Hamara HLC						15							15
Harrogate and Area Council for Voluntary Service	24												24
Harwich Kindertransport Memorial and Learning Trust Limited												25	25
Healthy Living solution						15							15
Henna Foundation	109												109
Her Centre						20							20
Hillingdon Association of Voluntary Services				6									6
Hindu Christian Forum		2											2
Hindu Council UK	2												2
Hindu Forum Britain	4	1											5
Holocaust Educational Trust									150	49	134	148	481
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust	750	750	750	904	940	980	980	1,150	1,146	1,063	900	900	11,213
Holocaust Survivor's Friendship Association												26	26
Hope Not Hate Charitable Trust										50			50
Housing Associations Charitable Trust (HACT )	100	100											200
IKI Human Welfare Foundation	5												5
Imkaan					40								40
Imperial War Museum					55								55
Indoamerican Refugee and migrant Organisation				6									6
Information Network Focus On Religious Movements (INFORM)	140	110	240	165	130								785
Institute for Government							50						50
Institute for Jewish Policy Research							38						38
Institute of Education							150		100				250
Institute of Structural Engineers			15			35					515	428	993
Integrate Bristol					20								20
Inter Faith Network for the UK	348	386	290	220	230	220	305	382	385	385	221	350	3,722
Inter Faith Youth Trust	6		10										16
Interfaith Action	3	2											5
Irish Traveller Movement in Britain							15	35					50
Jain Network UK	3	1											4
Jan Trust					36	18							54
Jewish Care							1						1
Jewish Museum		10											10
J-GO Training Ltd				6									6
Joseph Interfaith Foundation	2	2					7						11
Kali Theatre	13												13
Karimia Institute	50												50
Karma Nirvana					19	20							39
Karmand Community Centre				6									6
Keep Britain Tidy				5									5
Khayaal Theatre Company	74												74
Kick It Out									12	35			47
Kingston Race & Equalities Council										24			24
Lambeth Palace	2												2
Landscape Institute									20				20
Leadership Centre for Local Government	619												619
League of British Muslims	25												25
Learn English At Home										120			120
Learning From the Righteous								20				40	60
Learning Partnership	135												135
LifeLine Community Projects						48	321						369
Lincolnshire Community Foundation											36		36
Linking Network												195	195
Lions Clubs International											27		27
Locality		100		54	88			135	130				507
London Community Foundation								46					46
London Funders								84			5		89
London Metropolitan University	80												80
Luton Roma Trust									26				26
Luton Tigers Ltd										74			74
Maccabi GB							35	50	75	10			170
Manningham Housing Association											122		122
Mary Ward Settlement										66			66
Meanwhile Foundation									157	169			326
Media Trust	200	100			96								396
Medical Foundation for Care of Victims of Torture	15												15
Mencap					30	33							63
Migration Workers North West IRIF Project	40												40
Minorities Europe	3	2											5
Mitzvah Day	3	1	35			20	10						69
Mosques & Imams National Advisory Body	150												150
Multi-Faith Centre at the University of Derby	3	2											5
Muscular Dystrophy UK											65	273	338
Muslim Aid	5												5
Muslim Women's Council									86				86
Muslim Womens Network	30				15								45
Muslim Youth Helpline	65												65
Muslims Charities Forum				18	92								110
National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS)				125									125
National Association of Local Councils (NALC)	239			378	611	1824	1637	1517	2				6,208
National CLT Network									2000			4000	6,000
National Communities Resource Centre		136	295	268	285	90							1,074
National Community Land Trust Network (CLT) – Community										4000			4,000
National Custom & Self Build Association												40	40
National Federation of Tenant Management Organisatons						22							22
National Holocaust Centre					300	312	246	442				138	1,438
National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE)	1976	54	20										2,050
National Literacy Trust				6						115			121
National Memorial Arboretum					311								311
National Trust									1410	35			1,445
Natural England									38				38
NESTA						50							50
Network of Buddhist Organisations	1												1
Network of Sikh Organisations	4												4
Newcastle United Foundation											72	27	99
Nisa-Nashim								30					30
Nishkam Civic Association		2											2
Norfolk Community Alcohol Service (NORCAS)	6												6
North East Regional Faiths Network		2											2
North West Faiths Forum (Faiths 4 Change)		2											2
Northern Housing Consortium	139	43											182
Northern Refugee Centre	75												75
Norwich & Norfolk Racial Equality Council	63												63
Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service					100								100
Novas Scarman	258	100											358
One Voice Europe							50	100	50	50			250
One20	50			305	682	395	405	322	326	629			3,114
Online Centres Foundation				6									6
Open Doors Education And Training											400	194	594
Operation Black Vote	85	80	60				36	53	45				359
Ostro Fayre Share Foundation												700	700
Oxfam UK	200	100											300
Oxfordshire Community Voluntary Action	167												167
Paddington Development Trust			122	40									162
Parks Alliance									55	6			61
Parochial Church Council Ecclesiast											44		44
Platform 51		100											100
Plunkett Foundation				20	60								80
Poor African Refuge Community Association (PARCA)	27												27
Poplar Harca Ltd				50									50
Poplar Housing and Regeneration Charitable Association (HARCA)			105										105
Power to Change Trust						1850	847	230		650			3,577
Praxis Enterprises				6									6
Precious Trust						15							15
Prince’s Trust	80	176	3,834										4,090
Princes Foundation									47	63	3		113
Prism Youth Project	30												30
Prison Radio Association									30				30
Promoting African Refugee Community Association						20							20
Pub is the Hub				95	75	100	50	70	188	500			1,078
Quest for Economic Development (QED) - UK			42	75	19								136
Race Equality Centre				6									6
Reading Community Learning Centre						15							15
Red Zebra Community Solutions										105			105
Refuge					13								13
Refuge & Migrant Centre	38												38
Renaisi						12	12						24
Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Greater London					50		42						92
Riverside Community Health Project	52												52
Romani Cultural and Arts Company												50	50
ROM Campaign Ltd										100			100
ROSA					13								13
Rotary Club Of Doncaster Trust Fund											24		24
Royal Association for Disability Rights (RADAR )	177	50											227
Royal Society for Arts (RSA)	200	100											300
Royal Town Planning Institute						37		115	115	162			429
S4all Ltd - November 2019 Floods											39		39
Sadaqa Day Ltd					20								20
Sandwell Consortium				6									6
School for Social Entrepreneurs	410	100											510
Schools Linking Network (SLN)			49	101	98	36	135	368	725	791	441		2,744
Scotswood Area Strategy	21												21
Searchlight Educational Trust			66										66
Services for Education Limited							16	47	26				89
Shantona Women's Centre						20							20
Sheila McKechnie Foundation	85	80											165
Shelter National Campaign for Homeless People	10												10
Show Racism the Red Card			65	140			15	85	23	77			405
SITRA			22										22
Smaller Authorities’ Audit							320	250					570
Soas									72				72
Social Firms UK	85	80											165
Social Investment Business			3,109	10,472	8,092								21,673
Society of Editors			50										50
Society of Local Council Clerks				25	30								55
Solutions Not Sides											100		100
Somali Family Support Group	34												34
Sophie Lancaster Foundation							15	35					50
South East England Faiths Forum		2											2
South Yorkshire Community Foundation											692		692
Spatial Economics Research Centre												150	150
St Ethelburga's Centre		1											1
Stoke-On-Trent & North Staffordshire Theatre Trust											223		223
St Paul's Community Development Trust				35									35
St Philip’s Centre	2	2					80	79					163
Stop Hate UK							10	65		50			125
Streets Alive Ltd						3							3
Super Being Labs Ltd										64			64
Superact		40	200	476	251	46							1,013
Surrey Community Action	50												50
Talk for a Change			10	10									20
Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS)	200	128	10	618	455	160							1,571
Tender Education & Arts						14							14
Thornbury Centre									39				39
Three Faiths Forum	3	2											5
Tinder Foundation				542	842	967	500						2,851
Trees And Design Action Group											10	10	20
Tribal Education Ltd			8,640	16,472	18,732								43,844
Tudor Trust								1798					1,798
Two Ridings Community Foundation											249		249
UK Toremet							38	38					76
Ulfah Arts	30												30
Ummah Help				170	468	333	400	400	400	400	400	250	3,221
United Religions Initiative UK		2											2
Unity FM	34												34
University of Oxford									25	25			50
Urban Design London								72	177	61			310
Urban Forum	200	100											300
Urban Nexus	72												72
Urban Partnership Group			90	30									120
Urdu Times / Rahabar Trust	20												20
Victoria Cross Trust					160	140							300
Vision Schools Scotland												50	50
Voice UK	19												19
Voluntary Action	225	20											245
Waltham Forest Somali Women's Association				5									5
Workers’ Education Association - WEA	200	100								818			1,118
Weiner Library						300			75		25	96	496
West Norfolk Voluntary and Community Action	29												29
Women's Aid Federation											255	387	642
Woman's Health and Family Services					14								14
Woman's Interfaith Faith Network		2											2
Women's Organisation						20							20
Womanzone						20							20
Woodland Trust											79	15	94
Young Advisors	134	64	75										273
Young Foundation	200	100											300
Your Square Mile		18											18
Youth Sport Trust											247		247
Youth United Foundation				5,153	918			400	188				6,659
YWCA England and Wales	200												200
Zakat Trust	5												5
Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe	4	1											5
Annual Total	71,210	7,310	22,864	40,692	42,165	22,066	17,980	19,049	16,491	18,183	28,277	11,300	317,587

Data Sources:

• Department for Communities and Local Government, Annual Report and Accounts 2010-11.
• Department for Communities and Local Government Annual Report and Accounts 2011-12.
• Department for Communities and Local Government Annual Report and Accounts 2012-13.
• Department for Communities and Local Government, Annual Report and Accounts 2013-14.
• Department for Communities and Local Government, Annual Report and Accounts 2014-15.
• Department for Communities and Local Government, Annual Report and Accounts 2015-16.
• Department for Communities and Local Government, Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17.
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18.
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19.
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Annual Report and Accounts 2019-20.
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21.
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22.

List of Annual reports containing financial data

• Department for Communities and Local Government Community, opportunity, prosperity Annual Report 2008 Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by Command of Her Majesty May 2008 Cm 7394
• Department for Communities and Local Government Annual Report and Accounts 2015-16 (For the year ended 31 March 2016) Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 7J uly 2016. Accounts presented to the House of Commons pursuant to section 6(4) of the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000. Annual Report presented to the House of Commons by Command of Her Majesty. HC 324.

• Department for Communities and Local Government Report and Accounts 2016-17 (For the year ended 31 March 2017) Accounts presented to the House of Commons pursuant to section 6(4) of the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 Annual Report presented to the House of Commons by Command of Her Majesty Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 29 June 2017 HC 5.

Working groups

• Cross-Government Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group