Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has taken steps to maintain a central equality impact assessment on the move of posts out of London and the Southeast under the Places for Growth initiative.

The Government has made it clear that the Civil Service and its public bodies should have a truly national footprint. Places for Growth is working closely with departments and public bodies to relocate 22,000 Civil Service roles from Greater London to locations across the UK. The Government engages with Trade Unions regarding the Government’s overall ambition for Places for Growth.

Departments are responsible for their individual relocation programmes and own the associated business cases, Equality Impact Assessments and engagement with Trades Unions relating to their plans.

The majority of moves will involve roles becoming available through natural turnover, whereby roles identified as suitable for relocation will be advertised in the new location once a vacancy arises.

Places for Growth has an Equality Impact Assessment in place and departments are also responsible for ensuring they carry out, review and scrutinise Equality Impact Assessments for their specific relocation programmes.