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The Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, Robert Jenrick, has appointed Lord Gary Porter, CBE as a new non-executive director on the MHCLG Departmental Board.�

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 Gary Porter, CBE�

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.

Further information

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.