The UK Prime Minister, Mr. Boris Johnson has announced plans that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will be changed to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) as part of his commitment to level up across the United Kingdom.
As part of the forthcoming change, the Government has appointed former Bank of England chief economist, Andy Haldane to become head of the Levelling up Taskforce, which has been jointly established by Johnson and new levelling-up Secretary, Michael Gove.
Haldane joins as a permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Office on secondment from the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) for a period of six months.
Johnson said: “This government is committed to uniting and levelling up every part of the UK and I am determined that as we build back better from the pandemic we are geared up with the teams and expertise to deliver on that promise."
“Andy is uniquely qualified to lead our efforts to raise living standards, spread opportunity, improve our public services and restore people’s sense of pride in their communities. I look forward to working with him, and with my new ministerial team, to deliver the opportunities this country needs.”
Appointed last week in Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle, replacing Robert Jenrick, Gove’s role will involve driving “cross-Whitehall efforts to deliver a programme of tangible improvements in every part of the UK” as it strives to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr. Gove will also have responsibility for UK governance and elections, taking on the additional titles of Minister for Intergovernmental Relations. He is to work closely with the Territorial Offices and lead coordination with the devolved administrations on the prime minister’s behalf, the Government explained.
Kemi Badenoch MP and Neil O’Brien MP have been appointed as a minister of state and parliamentary under-secretary of state. Christopher Pincher and Lord Greenhalgh have been reappointed as ministers, while Eddie Hughes has been reappointed as parliamentary under-secretary of state.
Gove commented: “I’m thrilled that the prime minister has asked me to lead the levelling-up agenda, the defining mission of this government.
“With a superb team of ministers and officials in a new department, our relentless focus will be on delivering for those overlooked families and undervalued communities across the United Kingdom.
“We have a unique opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives."
(Source: https://www.planningportal.co.uk/news/article/794/planning_news_-_23_september_2021)
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