Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed closure of the Ruby House HM Revenue and Customs office in Aberdeen on the local economy.

HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC’s) Locations Programme will save more than £300 million up to 2025, and will deliver annual cash savings of £74 million in 2025/26, rising to more than £90m by 2028.

Moving to Regional Centres will also deliver benefits to tax collection and customer service. The Locations Programme will bring teams together in large offices, enabling them to work together to tackle fraud and evasion, irrespective of where it occurs. The benefits have therefore been considered as a whole and not in isolation of an individual office.

HMRC is prioritising its commitment to maximising tax revenue, increasing compliance and reducing the tax gap.