MHCLG appoints a new non-executive director

Lord Porter’s appointment took effect for 3 years from 7 June 2021.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said:  

I am delighted to welcome Lord Porter to the board of MHCLG. His hands-on construction experience and advocacy for building safety will be a huge help to the department’s important work as we help the country recover and build back better from the pandemic.

Lord Porter has been the Leader of South Holland District Council since 2003. In 2013, he was made a CBE for services to local government and in 2015 he was elevated to the Lords. He was formerly the vice chairman and then chairman of the Local Government Association. A bricklayer by trade, Lord Porter has spent most of his career in the construction industry. In 2000 he graduated as a mature student with a BA (Hons) in history and politics. In 2011 he gained a post-graduate certificate in shared services and in 2014 was made a Shared Service Architect fellow.

Lord Porter is currently a non-executive director of the Norse Group and chairman of the advisory board for the Effective Governance Forum, a cross-party think tank. He is also a Commissioner on the Association for Public Service Excellence’s 2030 commission.

MHCLG and the role of the Departmental Board 

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is a ministerial department to create great places to work and live, and to give more power to local people to shape what happens in their area.  

The Board is chaired by the Secretary of State and includes other ministers, senior officials (the Executive Team), a lead non-executive and a number of non-executive Board members. The Board’s focus is on strategic leadership, performance and delivery. The non-executive directors (NEDs) also attend the ‘non-ministerial board’, which comprises the executive team and the NEDs and whose focus is on organisational effectiveness, people, and forward planning.   

The Board operates according to recognised principles of good corporate governance:    

• Leadership – communicating a clear vision for the department.
• Effectiveness – challenging and scrutinising performance, to ensure our plans are realistic and challenging.
• Accountability – promoting the government’s goal of transparency through clear and fair reporting.
• Sustainability – taking a long-term view about what the department is trying to achieve.