John Healey named as new Housing Minister

John Healey was today named as the new Minister for Housing following the resignation of Margaret Beckett.

Mrs Beckett is reported to have resigned her post after not being offered a full Cabinet role in Gordon Brown's reshuffle.

The former local government minister, Mr Healey will be staying in the Department of Communities and Local Government to take up the housing remit. He becomes the fourth Labour MP to hold the post in less than two years.

The National Housing Federation welcomed John Healey’s appointment as Housing Minister but warned he has little time to waste in addressing the country’s chronic housing crisis.

Federation chief executive David Orr said: “We warmly welcome the appointment of John Healey and look forward to working closely with him.

“The country is facing an unprecedented housing crisis. The number of new homes being built this year is expected to slump to an 88-year low, while waiting lists for affordable homes have hit record levels.

“Clearly the new minister must get Britain building again.

“Mr Healey must also look at ways of getting the nationalised banks to lend to the thousands of people who are currently being refused mortgages for shared ownership properties – despite having good credit records.

“The minister will need to work closely with housing associations to deliver the thousands of affordable homes this country desperately needs.”

Mr Orr also praised Margaret Beckett’s contribution to housing following her resignation.

“Margaret Beckett brought a wealth of ministerial experience to the role and was willing to engage and listen to the concerns of the sector.

“She understood the tough challenges created by the recession and backed the Federation’s calls for greater grant flexibility to ensure house-building continued during the downturn.

“Mrs Beckett was also instrumental in introducing a package of measures aimed at helping people avoid losing their homes during the repossession.”

Between 2002 and 2007 Mr Healey worked at the Treasury, first as Economic Secretary and then later as Financial Secretary. From 2001-2002 he served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Adults Skills at the Department for Education and Skills.

Previously he served as a member of the Education and Employment Select Committee and Parliamentary Private Secretary to Chancellor of the Exchequer. He has been Member of Parliament for Wentworth in South Yorkshire since 1997.

John Healey was born in Wakefield and educated at Lady Lumley's Comprehensive School, Pickering, and at Peter's School in York and Christ's College, Cambridge. Mr Healey worked in the voluntary sector from 1984 to 1990 with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation and MIND campaigning to improve rights and services for disabled people.

From 1990 to 1994 Mr Healey worked in communications for Issue Communications, a campaign company, and the MSF Union. He was Campaigns Director for the TUC from 1994 to 1997. Mr Healey has also been a part time tutor at the Open University's Business School. He is married with one child and lives in his constituency in Rotherham.

Here is the full list of the new Cabinet:

Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service

The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP

Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal; Minister for Women and Equality (and deputising for the Prime Minister at PMQs)

The Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP

First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Lord President of the Council

The Rt Hon Lord Mandelson

Chancellor of the Exchequer

The Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

The Rt Hon David Miliband MP

Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor

The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP

Secretary of State for the Home Department

The Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP

Secretary of State for International Development

The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

The Rt Hon John Denham MP

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

The Rt Hon Ed Balls MP

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP

Secretary of State for Health

The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP

Leader of the House of Lords and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

The Rt Hon Baroness Royall of Blaisdon

Minister for the Cabinet Office, and for the Olympics and Paymaster General

The Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP

Secretary of State for Scotland

The Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP

Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP

Secretary of State for Wales

The Rt Hon Peter Hain MP

Secretary of State for Defence

The Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth MP

Secretary of State for Transport

Lord Adonis

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Ben Bradshaw MP

Other Cabinet attendees

Chief Whip (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)

The Rt Hon Nick Brown MP

Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The Rt Hon Lord Malloch-Brown

Minister of State (Housing), Department for Communities and Local Government

The Rt Hon John Healey MP

Minister of State (Business), Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP

Minister of State (Science and Innovation), Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The Rt Hon Lord Drayson

Attend Cabinet when their Ministerial responsibilities are on the agenda

Attorney General

The Rt Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC

Minister of State (Children), Department for Children, Schools and Families

The Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo MP

Minister of State (Employment), Department for Work and Pensions

The Rt Hon Jim Knight MP

Minister of State (Regional Economic Development and Co-ordination) Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP

The Queen has accepted the following resignations:

Cabinet resignations

The Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP

The Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP

The Rt Hon John Hutton MP

The Rt Hon Paul Murphy MP

The Rt Hon James Purnell MP

The Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP

Other resignations

The Rt Hon Tony McNulty MP

The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP

The Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP

The Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP