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 - 2020 (£'000)
Institution	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013	2013-2014	2014-2015	2015-2016	2016-2017	2017-2018	2018-2019	2019-2020	2020-2021	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	503
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	1,203
Big Society Capital Limited											15,750	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
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	18,850
Churches Together in England	4	1							7			12
Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)					13							13
Citizens Foundation	40											40
Civic Voice	80	25	64		5					55		229
Clapton Common Boys Club								50			15	65
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	50
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	4,474
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
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	333
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust	750	750	750	904	940	980	980	1,150	1,146	1,063	900	10,313
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	565
Integrate Bristol					20							20
Inter Faith Network for the UK	348	386	290	220	230	220	305	382	385	385	221	3,372
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				20
Learning Partnership	135											135
LifeLine Community Projects						48	321					369
Lincolnshire Community Foundation											36	36
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	65
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 Local Councils (NALC)	239			378	611	1824	1637	1517	2			6,208
National CLT Network									2000			2,000
National Communities Resource Centre		136	295	268	285	90						1,074
National Community Land Trust Network (CLT) – Community										4000		4,000
National Federation of Tenant Management Organisatons						22						22
National Holocaust Centre					300	312	246	442				1,300
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	72
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	400
Operation Black Vote	85	80	60				36	53	45			359
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
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
The Royal Association for Disability Rights (RADAR )	177	50										227
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
ROM Campaign Ltd										100		100
ROSA					13							13
Rotary Club Of Doncaster Trust Fund											24	24
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
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
The Challenge Network										269		269
National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS)				125								125
The Precious Trust						15						15
The Women's Organisation						20						20
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
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	2,971
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
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	400
West Norfolk Voluntary and Community Action	29											29
Women's Aid Federation											255	255
Woman's Health and Family Services					14							14
Woman's Interfaith Faith Network		2										2
Womanzone						20						20
Woodland Trust											79	79
Workers Education Association	200	100										300
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

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.

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