House of Commons Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee

House of Commons Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons established to scrutinise the work of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and its associated public bodies. It examines government policy, expenditure, and administration across a wide portfolio including local government, housing supply, planning, and the levelling-up agenda. The committee conducts inquiries, publishes reports with recommendations, and holds ministers and officials to account.

Role and responsibilities

The committee’s core function is to scrutinise the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, led by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Its remit covers a vast policy area including the implementation of the levelling-up white paper, the operation of local government in England, and national housing policy. It monitors the work of associated public bodies such as the Homes and Communities Agency and the Regulator of Social Housing. The committee has the power to summon witnesses, including ministers like Michael Gove and civil servants, and to demand written and oral evidence from a wide range of stakeholders including the Local Government Association and Shelter (charity).

Membership

As of the 58th Parliament of the United Kingdom, the committee has eleven members who are appointed by the House of Commons, reflecting the balance of parties in the chamber. The chair is Clive Betts, a Labour MP for Sheffield South East, who was elected by the whole House. Other notable members have included Bob Blackman, a Conservative MP, and Mary Robinson. Membership can change through resignations or appointments to ministerial office, as was the case when Lee Rowley left the committee upon his appointment as a minister at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Inquiries and reports

The committee launches inquiries into specific topics within its remit, gathering evidence from experts, organisations, and the public. Notable inquiries have examined the Building Safety Act 2022, the financial sustainability of local government in England, and the progress of the levelling-up agenda. Its reports, such as on the Right to Buy scheme or the regulation of the private rented sector, often contain critical analysis and recommendations for the government. The government is required to respond to these reports within two months, a process that can lead to significant parliamentary and media scrutiny, as seen with its work on cladding remediation following the Grenfell Tower fire.

History and establishment

The committee was established on 2 March 2020, succeeding the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee. This change followed the machinery of government changes initiated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson which created the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities from the former Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The committee’s creation formalised parliamentary scrutiny of the new department’s expanded remit, which incorporated the levelling-up agenda previously overseen by the Cabinet Office. Its first chair was Clive Betts, who had also chaired its predecessor committee.

Relationship with government and other bodies

The committee maintains a critical but constructive relationship with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, regularly questioning its secretaries of state and junior ministers. It interacts with other parliamentary bodies, including the Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office, on matters of public spending. The committee also engages extensively with external stakeholders, taking evidence from bodies like the Confederation of British Industry, the Royal Town Planning Institute, and charities such as Crisis (charity). Its work is often cited in debates in the House of Lords and can influence legislation, such as the Renters (Reform) Bill.

Category:House of Commons select committees Category:2020 establishments in the United Kingdom