Revenue and Customs: West Lothian

(asked on 26th January 2017) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if Ministers of his Department will meet with local elected representatives and other key stakeholders in Bathgate to discuss the potential effect of proposals to relocate jobs to regional centres on the local communities affected.


Answered by
 Portrait
Jane Ellison
This question was answered on 31st January 2017

Officials meet regularly with stakeholders to discuss a wide range of matters, including HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC’s) regional transformation plans. In addition, Ministers have discussed this issue with elected representatives.

The decision to move to regional centres is part of the wider Government strategy to develop Government hubs. For HMRC this includes consolidating 170 offices, many ageing and in poor condition, across the UK into thirteen new regional centres, four specialist sites and a base at 100 Parliament Street. This will help to maximise flexibility, collaboration and customer service while reducing costs to the taxpayer.

HMRC’s internal management information indicates that the vast majority of staff in West Lothian will be within reasonable travelling distance of the Regional Centre. HMRC will conduct one to one meetings with staff about a year in advance of the move to discuss their personal circumstances, whether or not they can move and what more can be done to support them. One to one meetings are held at this time to ensure that the most up to date information on the specific location of the Regional Centre is available to allow decisions to be made.

HMRC will support staff moving to the new Regional Centre by helping them with a contribution to additional travel costs, for three years for staff within reasonable daily travel and five years for those who live outside reasonable daily travel, after the move. For any staff who are unable to move, HMRC will look at redeployment options. This will include helping staff to find another role within the Department, or if necessary in other government departments. It is HMRC’s desire to retain as many existing staff as possible within the Department. Exit packages will only be considered when it is established that moving office or redeployment is not an option.

HMRC expects that travel support for staff moving to Edinburgh from Bathgate and Livingstone will cost approximately £2 million over a five year period. The estimated exit costs are expected to be approximately £1.45 million.

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