Public Affairs

CLG Ministers

The Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Responsibilities

  • The overall strategic direction of the Department.

Biography
On 12 May 2010 Eric Pickles MP was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

In January 2009 David Cameron appointed Eric Pickles Chairman of the Conservative Party. He joined the Shadow Cabinet in July 2007 as Communities and Local Government Secretary having served from August 2005 to July 2007 as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party.

Other posts he has held include Shadow Secretary of State for Local Government & the Regions; Shadow Minister for Transport and Shadow Minister for London; member of the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party, with special responsibility for local government affairs and Parliamentary Private Secretary to Tim Sainsbury MP, Minister for Industry.

Eric Pickles has been Member of Parliament for Brentwood and Ongar since April 1992. Previous political appointments include: Leader of Bradford Council (1988-1990) and Deputy-Leader of the Conservative Group AMA (1989-1991),

He was born in 1952 and was educated at Greenhead Grammar School (a comprehensive), Keighley, and Leeds Polytechnic. He is married. He has previously worked as a Consultant in Employment Practice and Local Government Editor for Conservative Newsline (1990-92).

 

Greg Clark MP
Minister for Decentralisation

Responsibilities

  • Decentralisation (including across Government)
  • Big Society
  • Planning policy

Biography
On 13 May 2010 Greg Clark MP was appointed Minister of State at Communities and Local Government.

Greg Clark was born in Middlesbrough and studied Economics at Cambridge University before being awarded his PhD at the London School of Economics.

He was Director of Policy for the Conservative Party from March 2001 for three successive Leaders; William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard, before being elected to Parliament in 2005.

He was appointed as Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in October 2008, having previously been Shadow Minister for Charities, Social Enterprises and Volunteering. Shadow Minister for Teesside since 2006, Greg Clark has also authored the book, Total Politics, looking at the decentralisation of political power.

 

Grant Shapps MP
Minister for Housing and Local Government

Responsibilities

  • Housing
  • Local government
  • Regeneration
  • Climate change and sustainable development

Biography
On 13 May 2010 Grant Shapps MP was appointed Minister of State at Communities and Local Government.

Grant was born and educated in Hertfordshire, attending Watford Grammar School.

After studying Business in Manchester he returned home to found his own printing company, aged 21, and it is a business that thrives to this day. Grant is well-known as a hard-working, campaigning, constituency MP who has often led the fight on behalf of his Welwyn Hatfield constituents.

During 2008 he helped the modern day Conservative Party follow in the footsteps of Ian MacLeod - who founded homeless charity Crisis in 1967 - by joining David Cameron to launch the Conservative Homelessness Foundation at Crisis HQ in London.

 

Andrew Stunell OBE MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Responsibilities

  • Community cohesion (including future of Prevent)
  • Race equality
  • Building regulations
  • Big Society, housing and regeneration

Biography
On 14 May 2010 Andrew Stunell OBE MP was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at Communities and Local Government.

Andrew Stunell was first elected as the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Hazel Grove in 1997.

He had previously served on Stockport MDC, and on Cheshire CC, and has written extensively on local government policy issues. In 2004 he steered his Private Members Act on Sustainable Buildings through Parliament.

He is married to Gillian and they have five grown up children, two of whom are adopted. Andrew and Gillian live in Romiley, in the centre of the constituency.

Andrew is a former Baptist lay preacher and an active member of Romiley Methodist Church.

 

Bob Neill MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Responsibilities

  • Fire and resilience
  • Thames Gateway and Olympics
  • Local government and planning

Biography

On 14 May 2010 Bob Neill MP was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at Communities and Local Government.

Bob Neill was elected as MP for Bromley and Chislehurst in June 2006. Following his election to parliament he was appointed to the Justice Select Committee. After only a year Bob was appointed Shadow London Minister, joining the Shadow Communities and Local Government team.

In 2008 he was made Shadow Local Government Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party and in January 2009, Bob also took over the shadow planning brief.

He has served as a Local Borough Councillor, Member of the GLC and Leader of the Greater London Authority's Conservative Group. Bob has been a member of the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority and The London Assembly from 2000-2008 where he was leader of the Conservative Group.

He is Patron of two charities: The Bromley Community Fund and Advocacy First Bromley and a Vice President of Bromley and District Scouts.


Baroness Hanham CBE
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Responsibilities

  • Productivity, procurement and value for money
  • Transparency and data
  • Climate change and sustainable development
  • Ordnance Survey
  • QEII conference centre

Biography
On 14 May 2010 Baroness Hanham was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at Communities and Local Government.

Baroness Hanham is a Conservative member of the House of Lords and was leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council from 1989. She was made a Life peer as Baroness Hanham, of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in 1999.

Baroness Hanham has held the various positions of Shadow Minister for Local Government, the Home Office and Transport, and was also Chairman of St. Mary's Hospital NHS Trust from 2000-2007.

She became a Freeman of the City of London in 1984 and was awarded the CBE in 1997.

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