§ 93. Mr. Blenkinsopasked the Minister for the Civil Service what policy his Department is now adopting towards the location of Government offices in development areas; and what recent decisions have been made regarding the location of such offices in the North-East and, in particular, in Tyneside.
§ Mr. David HowellOn the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to my answers on 14th July and 19th October.
On the second part, my hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced on 6th July that local offices for the administration of value-added tax would, amongst other places, be established at Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough. As I told the hon. Member for Newport (Mr. Roy Hughes) on 28th June, an Inland Revenue London Accounts Office is to be established at Gateshead, and part of the Department of Trade and Industry Accounts Branch and Finance and Economic Appraisal Division is to be moved to Billingham.—[Vol. 821, c. 97 and Vol. 823, c. 106; Vol. 821, c. 314; Vol. 820, c. 40.]