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Radical changes are on the way following the shake-up at the top of the CLG Months of speculation ended last week with the announcement by the department that its permanent secretary, Peter Housden, had been moved to run the Scottish Executive. Mr Housden will succeed Sir John Elvidge, who is retiring next month. He has been replaced by Irene Lucas currently a director-general in the department, and the former chief executive of South Tyneside MBC. Mr Housden had been predicted to move out of the department after the election, as he had been at the helm for almost five years. Several other permanent secretaries are also expected to move on during the next 12 months, including Sir David Normington, who is lead civil servant at the Home Office. Mr Housden inherited a difficult brief and was seen by some within Westminster as being too close to Labour ministers. But Mr Housden made headlines before the general election by challenging the decision by the-then secretary of state, John Denham, to grant unitary status to Exeter and Norwich. His experience in successfully working with the devolved governments marked Mr Housden out for the Scottish Executive, and the appointment was backed by Alex Salmond, first minister in the Scottish Government. New communities secretary, Eric Pickles, said: ‘I am obviously sad to lose someone of such courageous leadership, who puts the interests of the department, and of the communities it serves, first. ‘But Mr Housden faces an exciting challenge in Scotland, and I wish him well.' In his parting statement Peter Housden said: ‘I am genuinely excited by the challenge. Scotland has its own government, a great sense of pride and ambition, and a civil service of passion, achievement and integrity.' Head of the civil service, Sir Gus O'Donnell, said: ‘During his time as permanent secretary at CLG, Mr Housden has served a number of secretaries of state with great loyalty and distinction. ‘He has ensured the successful delivery of a wide range of government policies in such key areas as affordable housing, preventing repossessions and local government reform, while enhancing the department's standing in Whitehall and among its delivery partners.'

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Permanent secretary quits CLG for Scottish Executive

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