Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the planned new base for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in Wolverhampton will be comparable to the London base in (1) the number of staff employed, (2) the staff grading structure, and (3) the numbers of staff per salary grade.

As the Department's second HQ, the Wolverhampton office will have a wide range of Civil Service roles and grades, including senior roles, and will also have a regular Ministerial presence.

By 2025 the MHCLG Group will have 500 jobs based in the West Midlands region, and overall the MHCLG Group is moving a total of 800 roles out of London by the end of the decade, with a target to have half of the most senior roles based in the regions by 2030. As a result, the MHCLG London office will reduce by at least a quarter by 2025 but will remain our largest single office.

The Department is, as a priority, conducting a search for suitable premises in the city and expects to be able to announce further information on the timetable for opening the office by the Summer.