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• Yvette Cooper MP

The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP

Minister of State

Former Minister for Housing, attending Cabinet (2005 - 2008)

• Responsibilities
• Biography

Responsibilities

• lead responsibility for: housing policy and programmes (Homebuy and shared ownership, low and zero-carbon housing, eco-towns, homelessness, HMR pathfinders, social housing, HIPs), including housing elements of the Comprehensive Spending Review and PSAs; and planning reform (town and country planning); and representing the Department in Cabinet on these areas of policy
• physical and housing-related regeneration and sponsor minister for new Homes Agency implementation
• Housing and Regeneration Bill
• urban policy and design
• sustainable development and climate change: including the code for sustainable homes and building regulations
• Minister for the Thames Gateway, new growth points and growth areas
• Olympics legacy issues

Biography

Yvette Cooper is Housing Minister and attends Cabinet. Her appointment was announced in June 2007.

Yvette Cooper was Minister of State for Housing and Planning in the Department for Communities and Local Government, previously the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), from 2005.  Before this, she was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the ODPM.

From May 2002 to June 2003 she was Parliamentary Secretary at the Lord Chancellor's Department and from October 1999 she was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health.

She has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Pontefract and Castleford since 1 May 1997. Before being appointed as Health Minister, Ms Cooper was a Member of the Education and Employment Select Committee and the Intelligence and Security Committee.

Ms Cooper was previously economic columnist and leader writer for The Independent. She worked as Policy Advisor to Labour's Treasury Team in opposition between 1990-94 and as Policy Advisor to the Bill Clinton Presidential Campaign in 1992.

She was educated at Eggars Comprehensive, Alton Sixth Form College, Oxford University, Harvard University and the London School of Economics.

She is married to Ed Balls MP, and they have three children.