The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is to make a decision “in due course” on the future role of charities minister after Nigel Huddleston’s departed the post this week.
Huddleston had taken on the role of charities minister in addition to his wider DCMS brief overseeing sport, heritage, and tourism in October last year.
This followed the government’s axing of the role of dedicated charities and youth minister, previously held by Baroness Barran, who moved to the Department for Education as a schools minister.
But this week Huddleston announced he is leaving the DCMS to become a government whip.
In a message on social media he detailed his many roles at the department, covering tourism, sport, culture, civil society, youth, heritage and “so much more”.
I'm leaving @DCMS & heading to the Whips Office. Thanks to all the great people I've worked with on:
— Nigel Huddleston MP (@HuddlestonNigel) September 20, 2022
🏅Commonwealth Games
🏖️ Tourism Recovery
🏈 Sports Survival Package
🎭 Culture Recovery Fund
⚽ Fan Led Review
🧒 CS & Youth
🎾 Grassroots Facilities
🏰 Heritage & so much more... pic.twitter.com/kpHpHcTkxp
The axing of a dedicated charities minister post and wide breadth of Huddleston's remit had raised concerns among charity leaders.
The DCMS has said it has not yet made a decision on whether there will be a straight replacement for Huddleston or whether his wide remit will be broken up into separate ministerial posts.
Huddleston, who is MP for Mid Worcestershire, joined the DCMS as parliamentary under-secretary for sport, heritage and tourism in February 2020.
The charities minister role had previously been merged with the minister of sport brief in 2017. However sports and civil society minister Tracey Crouch quit a year later over delays in reducing fixed odds betting terminals limits.
Recent Stories