Lee Rowley becomes 13th Housing Minister since 2010
Lee Rowley takes on the overarching responsibility for housing strategy, while Andrew Stephenson is handed the portfolio of Eddie Hughes, who resigned recently.
Lee Rowley has been appointed as the new Housing minister, replacing Marcus Jones, who served two months in the role.
Rowley had been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities and previously served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy and a government whip as Lord Commissioner of the Treasury.
Responsibilities
• Overarching responsibility for housing strategy, including supply and home ownership
• Investment Zones
• Housing funds, including Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) and other housing / land and infrastructure funds
• Homes England stewardship
• Planning – reform and casework (including Holocaust Memorial)
• Leasehold and freehold
• Corporate matters
• Legislation – Levelling Up Regeneration Bill, leasehold
HISTORY
Rowley, 42, was elected the Conservative MP for North East Derbyshire on 8 June 2017.
Before becoming and MP he worked in financial services and management consultancy including stints at Barclays, KPMG, Santander, and Co-op Insurance.
Rowley had also contributed research on welfare and housing to the centre-right think tank, the Centre for Social Justice and was a Westminster councillor for several years, albeit with no housing involvement.
Commenting on Twitter Rowley said: “Delighted to join @SimonClarkeMP & @luhc as Housing & Planning Minister – a big job ahead to further help raise standards & service across the sector, to improve how planning works for local communities and, vitally, to empower more people achieve their dream of home ownership.”
Renters’ Reform Bill responsibility
Pendle MP, Andrew Stephenson has been appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
He will be taking on on the responsibilities left by Eddie Hughes MP, who has steered the Renters’ Reform White Paper, A fairer Private Rented Sector.
The White Paper sets out the Government’s far-reaching reforms of the PRS. The coming weeks will reveal how much of this will be amended, under the new administration of Liz Truss.
