The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is a department of the British government. It was formed in May 2002 and is led by the Deputy Prime Minister, currently John Prescott. It is a successor to the Department for Transport, Environment and the Regions.

It responsible for the following issues, according to their website (as of Feb 2005)

• Building Regulations
• Civil Resilience
• Devolution
• Fire
• Government Offices
• Homelessness
• Housing
• Local Government
• Neighbourhood Renewal Unit
• Planning
• Regions
• Regional Co-ordination Unit
• Science and Research
• Social Exclusion Unit
• Sustainable Communities
• Urban Policy

As well as the Deputy Prime Minister this department has three junior ministers (Ministers of State ): the Minister for Local and Regional Government and Fire (currently the Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP), the Minister for Regeneration and Regional Development (currently the Rt Hon Jeff Rooker) and the Minister of State for Housing and Planning (currently the Rt Hon Keith Hill MP).

The department has many offices including 26 Whitehall , Eland House and Ashdown House in London.

See also

• Council House
• Housing Corporation
• Housing estate
• Town and Country Planning in the United Kingdom

External link

• Office of the Deputy Prime Minister