The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will become the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities as the Government steps up its levelling up agenda.

It comes just days after Michael Gove was appointed Housing Secretary, with a central plank of his job being to push the levelling up agenda.

The change comes as former Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane was today appointed as the new Head of the Levelling Up Taskforce.

The taskforce has been jointly established by the Prime Minister and Gove, who is now being titled Secretary of State for Levelling Up.

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said: “This Government is committed to uniting and levelling up every part of the UK and I am determined that as we build back better from the pandemic we are geared up with the teams and expertise to deliver on that promise.

“Andy is uniquely qualified to lead our efforts to raise living standards, spread opportunity, improve our public services and restore people’s sense of pride in their communities. I look forward to working with him, and with my new ministerial team, to deliver the opportunities this country needs.”

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove, said: “I’m thrilled that the PM has asked me to lead the Levelling Up agenda, the defining mission of this Government.

“With a superb team of ministers and officials in a new department, our relentless focus will be on delivering for those overlooked families and undervalued communities across the United Kingdom.

“We have a unique opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives.”