HMRC Estate Transformation Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

HMRC Estate Transformation

Paul Williams Excerpts
Tuesday 29th January 2019

(5 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Mel Stride Portrait Mel Stride
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The decision to have a Leeds office as opposed to a Bradford office has been rigorously looked at. It hinged on eight principles, some of which I set out in my response to the hon. Member for Aberdeen North (Kirsty Blackman), who spoke for the Scottish National party. On my hon. Friend’s more general point about the economic impact, the House should celebrate the economic success that we have had; we have the highest level of employment and lowest unemployment since the mid-1970s, and it is this Government’s policies that are providing that.

Paul Williams Portrait Dr Paul Williams (Stockton South) (Lab)
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Four hundred people work for HMRC in George Stephenson House in Stockton South. Many of them have built their lives as carers and parents around their work. Why does the Minister think that it is okay to ask them to travel for an hour and a half each way just to keep their jobs, when 97% of them say that that is unacceptable?

Mel Stride Portrait Mel Stride
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I do not think that we are requiring all the employees at that location to travel in excess of an hour to fit in with the new arrangements. In my statement, I set out at length the various measures—I will not repeat them now—that we have taken to make sure that HMRC does the right thing.