Unlucky for some? 13th Housing Minister in a decade quits

Lucy Frazer became the 13th Housing Minister to leave the role in the past decade yesterday after she was promoted to Culture Secretary in a Cabinet reshuffle.

She was only in the role for 102 days and her departure means there have been 15 Housing Ministers since 2010 when the Conservative Party has been in power.

Frazer still found time during her relatively short tenure to push the Levelling Up Bill through Parliament and commented on issues such as agency regulation, reiterating the Government’s commitment to the Regulation of Property Agents reforms.

The Culture Secretary appointment may well have come to a surprise to Frazer as campaigners on Twitter highlighted that she had only yesterday met with them to discuss leasehold issues while others only recently raised problems with the Help to Buy scheme/

Her successor will become the sixth Housing Minister in a year.

Rachel Maclean was last night made a minister for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities but it is not yet clear if she will take on the housing brief.

The ever-revolving door prompted comedian Michael Spicer to quip that there is more chance of becoming Housing Minister than buying a house.

As part of the reshuffle, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak create four new Government departments, breaking up the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial strategy.

The new areas are a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, a dedicated Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, a combined Department for Business and Trade and a re-focused Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Grant Shapps was named as Secretary of State for the new Energy Security and Net Zero Government department, a move backed by Propertymark.

Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at the agency trade body, said: “We are pleased to see that the UK Government is demonstrating its dedication to the net zero target by creating this new department. 

“Buildings account for 30% of emissions in the UK, with homes making up 17% of the total, which means there is room for improvement across the sector.

"However, property agents are looking for clarity on how landlords, homeowners and businesses can meet energy performance targets. 

“Our Lagging behind: Energy Efficiency in Low-Viability Properties report calls for local and central government to produce a coordinated strategy across the country which incorporates financial incentives, awareness raising and skills development to deliver the improvements that are needed. Improving the energy efficiency of housing and buildings is not only important to reduce fuel bills but is the right thing to do.