Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Civil Service Jobs outside London

Thursday 12 November 2020 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Minister aims to relocate 22,000 civil service roles from London to the UK regions and nations by 2030.
  • The north-west is expected to benefit from the Places for Growth programme, with hub locations to be announced shortly.
  • The Minister has reviewed plans presented by the Mayor of Teesside for an international campus in Teesside.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jonathan Gullis
Economy Employment Local Government
Context

Concern over the centralisation of civil service jobs in London and its impact on other regions.

Question

What steps he is taking to increase the proportion of civil service jobs based outside London. I am concerned that despite efforts, a significant number of civil service roles remain concentrated in the capital, limiting opportunities elsewhere.

Answer from Julia Lopez

We want to make the administration of government much less London-centric and more reflective of the country as a whole, with an ambition to relocate 22,000 civil service roles out of the capital and into the regions and nations of the UK by the end of this decade. Our Places for Growth programme is working with Departments and public bodies to establish hub locations that will deliver on levelling-up ambitions.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Mark Jenkinson
Economy Agriculture & Rural Affairs Parliamentary Procedure
Context

A specific site for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is already established in Workington.

Question

I thank the Minister for that answer. Can she confirm that, as well as civil service reform, this Government will use the opportunity to level up all parts of the UK? With a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs site already in Workington, does she agree that we are perfectly placed to take this forward and ensure that the north-west does not get left behind?

Answer from Julia Lopez

I am very confident that the north-west will benefit from the programme. We hope to be able to announce where we are going to place hub locations shortly, and I encourage engagement in the levelling-up taskforce.

Partly answered

Not addressed: confirmation of specific site placement for the north-west

How: Not In A Position To Confirm

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q3 Jacob Young
Employment Local Government
Context

A plan has been presented by Ben Houchen for relocating civil service jobs to Teesside.

Question

The purpose of moving civil service jobs out of London is not simply to relocate jobs from one part of the country to another, but to place policy makers in communities that have been left behind for too long. Can my hon. Friend confirm that she has seen the plans presented by Ben Houchen to relocate civil service jobs to Teesside, and will she commit to meeting me and my Tees Valley colleagues to progress these plans further?

Answer from Julia Lopez

I have heard the Mayor of Teesside mentioned in this place perhaps more than any civic leader in the country. I spent last night eagerly reading his plans for the international campus in Teesside, and I understand that he has already met the lead official for Places for Growth. I will be asking for an update on those discussions so we can make sure that the north-east benefits from this agenda.

Partly answered

Not addressed: commitment to a specific meeting with Tees Valley colleagues

How: Not Committed To A Specific Meeting

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q4 David Johnston
Context

In 2018, just 9% of the civil service fast stream came from a working-class background.

Question

Does my hon. Friend agree that as well as improving the locations that civil servants work in and come from, we need to improve the social backgrounds they come from for better policy making and delivery? In 2018, just 9% of the civil service fast stream came from a working-class background.

Answer from Julia Lopez

We are looking at how we can get a more diverse array of people via the Places for Growth programme, but it is not just limited to places for growth; we are looking at the whole human resources strategy in the civil service so that we look at diversity in a much broader way than previously.

Partly answered

Not addressed: specific actions to improve social backgrounds among civil servants

How: Looking At The Issue Broadly

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)