Green Issues Reshuffle Briefing - 30 May 2002
Less than twelve months ago, the Prime Minister completely revamped
the former DETR, creating new departments to be responsible for environment,
transport, local government and planning.
Now, with the enforced departure of Stephen Byers the Department for Transport,
Local Government and the Regions has itself been broken up. Not surprisingly,
transport, which has become the government’s Achilles' heel, has once
again become a department in its own right.
Housing and planning have reverted to the control of Deputy Prime Minister
John Prescott, in what is now to be known as the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister. Whether this will henceforth be known as ODPM remains to be seen.
The most significant change has been the departure of Lord Falconer to
new pastures, more closely related to his legal skills, in the Home Office.
It was significant that he moved on the same day that the government finally
divested itself of the Millennium Dome – for which Lord Falconer had
also been responsible.
He has been succeeded as Minister of State (Housing and Planning) by Lord
Rooker, who moves from the Home Office, where he had recently incurred No
10’s displeasure for his pre-Budget attack on ‘Treasury wreckers’ and ‘penny-pinchers’.
Nick Raynsford MP has retained his role as Minister of State for Local
Government and the Regions. Barbara Roche MP retains her post as Minister
of State (Social Exclusion) and Deputy Minister for Women in the new department.
The Parliamentary Under Secretaries are Tony McNulty MP and Christopher
Leslie MP. Sally Keeble MP, who formerly had responsibility for Housing,
Planning and Regeneration, has been moved to the Department of International
Development.
Planning Implications
What is not yet clear is the impact all these changes will have on housing
and the planning system. What seems certain is that John Prescott has been
given the green light to proceed with his pet plan for regional devolution,
which will probably be his political swansong: Tony Blair’s backing
for this project has been questioned. Mr Prescott now has the chance to prove
himself, or to end his political career in failure.
Other key issues with which Mr Prescott will have to deal include a Housing
White Paper on improvements to social housing, an Urban White Paper on city
and urban space, the decision on new airport runways in the south east, and
of course, the Planning Green Paper.
We will monitor developments with interest.
For more information on this story - contact Harry Hudson on 0118
959 1211
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