Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to improve staff retention in the civil service in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the UK; and if he will make a statement.

The Government is committed to attracting and retaining the best talent for the Civil Service, across all regions of the UK.

The Places for Growth Programme will move Civil Service roles and public bodies outside of London and the South East of England to cities across the UK in line with the Industrial Strategy and Civil Service Estates Strategy. The Programme is bringing together central government units and other departments to work together to develop a comprehensive, evidence-based workforce and place-based strategy for locations around the UK including Birmingham and the West Midlands.

We are developing career pathways for professions across the Civil Service, which enable civil servants to build a common understanding of skills and experience needed at each level, exposing them to the right opportunities to build a successful career in the Civil Service.