Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for what reason local government has been removed from his Department's name; and what assessment he has made of the effect of that change to his Department's title on the Government's plans to tackle the challenges faced by local authorities.

As a new Department with the unique and defining purpose of levelling up communities across the entirety of the UK the new Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has a broad and ambitious set of objectives, working to provide equal opportunity across the UK so that the talent and ambition match the opportunities people can access. To do this, DLUHC leads the Levelling Up agenda across government, working with other departments and in partnership with local government

The change of name of the Department reflect the enhanced focus the Government is placing on its intention to deliver improvement across the whole of the United Kingdom. With its newly expanded remit, the Department will be even better placed to support the Government in its plans to tackle the challenges faced by local authorities.