Our governance

Information on the DLUHC board and its sub-committees.

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Department for Levelling Up,
Housing & Communities

DLUHC board

Role

The board’s role is to advise and support ministers on the operational implications and effectiveness of policy proposals, focusing on getting policy translated into results. It operates according to these recognised principles of good corporate governance in business:

• leadership - communicate a clear vision for the department
• effectiveness - challenge and scrutinise performance
• accountability - promote the government’s goal of transparency through clear and fair reporting
• sustainability - take a long-term view about what the department is trying to achieve

Responsibilities

It advises on 5 main areas:

• strategy - setting the vision and ensuring all activities, either directly or indirectly, contribute towards it
• commercial sense - approving the distribution of responsibilities and ensuring sound financial management
• talented people - ensuring the department has the capability to deliver and to plan to meet current and future needs
• results focus - agreeing the operational business plan and monitoring and steering performance against the plan
• management information - ensuring clear, consistent, comparable performance information is used to drive improvements

However, the board’s primary focus is on delivery performance.

Board members

The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, chairs the board.

Other members are:

• Lee Rowley MP, Minister of State
• Felicity Buchan MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
• Jacob Young MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
• Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
• Simon Hoare MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
• Baroness Swinburne Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
• Sarah Healey CB CVO, Permanent Secretary
• Catherine Frances Director General, Local Government, Resilience and Communities
• Matt Thurstan, Director General, Chief Financial Officer
• Dame Alison Nimmo DBE, Lead Non-Executive Director
• Jeffrey Dodds, Non-Executive Director
• Lord Gary Porter, Non-Executive Director
• Thomas Taylor, Non-Executive Director

Members of the Executive Team and other department officials can attend Board meetings to discuss relevant items when required.

Executive Team

The Executive Team is responsible for managing the daily business of the department.

Members of the Executive Team are:

• Sarah Healey CB CVO, Permanent Secretary
• Catherine Frances, Director General, Local Government, Resilience and Communities
• Will Garton, Director General, Levelling Up
• Richard Goodman, Director General, Safer and Greener Buildings
• Joanna Key, Director General, Regeneration, Housing and Planning
• Matt Thurstan, Director General, Chief Financial Officer
• Brendan Threlfall, Director General, Union and Windsor Framework

Audit and Risk Assurance Committee

The Audit and Risk Assurance Committee is a sub-committee of our board. It is responsible for assessing and assuring the department’s overall risk management framework and for ensuring financial propriety.

The committee gives independent advice to the accounting officer on the adequacy of audit arrangements (internal and external) and on the assurances received on the existence and effectiveness of systems for accountability and control in the organisation.

The committee’s core membership is entirely non-executive to ensure independent advice. Mark Sheridan and Susan Barratt are the external Committee members.

The Permanent Secretary and the Finance Director also attend meetings.

DLUHC Board and Non-Ministerial Board Register of Relevant Interests

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Board and Non-Ministerial Board members are asked to declare any interests or related party interests that are relevant to the work of the department as well as all remunerated outside employment, work and appointments whether relevant or not. Mitigation plans are in place for any perceived, potential or actual conflicts of interest. Ministers’ interests are recorded and published by the Cabinet Office.

See the DLUHC register of board members’ interests.