Local government has greeted the new ministerial structure at the CLG with mixed feelings after it emerged there would be a joint post between the department and the Business department. Former DWP minister John Denham has replaced Hazel Blears as the new communities secretary and former local government minister John Healey will remain in the department, promoted to the cabinet post of housing minister in place of Margaret Beckett. However, it is the role of Rosie Winterton which has spilt local government opinion. She will take on a ministerial brief across CLG and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, dealing with regional economics across business and local government. It remains unclear where the rest of the local government brief will lie, but Mr Healey and Mr Denham are expected to take some of the responsibility. Local Government Association chief executive John Ransford welcomed the appointment of Mr Denham, who he claimed has a ‘really good local government background'. LGIU director Andy Sawford – a former special adviser to Rosie Winterton – welcomed the changes. He said the joint role with the business department was ‘really important, given that it is the most important issue for local government at the moment'. The new line-up at CLG Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government – The Rt Hon John Denham MP Minister of State – The Rt Hon John Healey MP Minister of State – The Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP (jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Shahid Malik MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Sarah McCarthy-Fry MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Ian Austin MP
