Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Moving Civil Service Jobs outside London

Thursday 24 February 2022 · 6 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 6 Not answered 0

Key points

  • More than 2,000 civil service jobs have already moved to locations across the UK under the Places for Growth programme.
  • Around 300 civil service roles have already moved or are moving to York, adding to the existing 2,790 civil servants in the city.
  • The Places for Growth programme aims to leverage the academic strengths of universities like those in Huddersfield to promote technology and innovation hubs.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Selaine Saxby
Employment Local Government
Context

The MP is concerned about the progress of relocating civil service jobs outside London to stimulate local economies.

Question

What progress has been made on moving civil service jobs outside of London?

Answer from Steve Barclay

More than 2,000 civil service jobs have already moved to places across the UK under the Places for Growth programme. Additional details will be provided in due course regarding domestic resilience efforts.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Provided no specific timeline or detailed plans for future job relocations

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Q2 Kevin Hollinrake Con Thirsk and Malton
Context

The MP wants to welcome civil service jobs moving to York and is interested in the programme's progress.

Question

Will my right hon. Friend update us on plans for relocating civil service jobs to York?

Answer from Steve Barclay

Around 300 civil service roles have already moved or are moving to the city of York, in addition to the 2,790 civil servants already based there.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Provided no specific timeline or detailed plans for future job relocations

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Q3 Selaine Saxby
Economy Employment
Context

The MP is advocating for levelling up in the south-west and wants to know if this area will benefit from civil service job relocations.

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the south-west needs levelling up?

Answer from Steve Barclay

The south-west is already home to 45,000 civil servants and will see more Departments relocating there as per the levelling-up White Paper.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific timeline or detailed plans for future job relocations in the south-west

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Q4 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
Standards & Ethics
Context

The MP is interested in ensuring that the top jobs in the civil service better reflect the nation.

Question

Will the Minister explain what he will do to ensure that senior-level jobs in the civil service better represent the nation?

Answer from Steve Barclay

The Places for Growth programme champions diversity and aims to enable people from all backgrounds to access top jobs in the civil service, as demonstrated by moving Treasury roles to Darlington.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific measures or timelines for improving senior-level job representation

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Q5 Barry Sheerman Lab
Employment Science & Technology
Context

The MP is promoting Huddersfield as a suitable location for civil service jobs due to its technological and academic strengths.

Question

Huddersfield, with its university town status and technology focus, would be an excellent place for relocating civil service roles. Is there any specific plan or investment related to this?

Answer from Steve Barclay

The Places for Growth programme aims to combine research and development investments with the academic strengths of universities such as those in Huddersfield, promoting technology and innovation hubs like green skills and enterprise start-ups.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific plans or investment details for Huddersfield

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Q6 Rachel Hopkins Lab Luton South and South Bedfordshire
Economy Local Government
Context

The MP is concerned about the Government's commitment to moving senior civil service roles outside London and questions if there are clear plans in place.

Question

What specific plan does the Minister have for relocating 7% of senior civil service roles out of London by 2025 and an additional 10% by 2030?

Answer from Steve Barclay

The levelling-up White Paper outlines the plan for relocating civil service roles, as evidenced by the 2,000 roles already moved. The Government supports cross-party initiatives like Places for Growth.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific detailed plans or timelines beyond vague references to existing documents

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