§ Mr. PageTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he intends that any staff in the insolvency service of his Department who are currently based in London will be relocated elsewhere; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI have decided that 148 London-based insolvency service staff will be relocated in Birmingham in 1989. The decision to relocate these staff follows a thorough review of my Department's scope for moving staff to locations other than London, where the cost of accommodation is very high. The type of work carried out by the staff concerned does not require their location in any particular area. The proposed move will improve the cost-effectiveness of my Department in our use of public funds for staff accommodation.
I also believe that moving these important Civil Service posts to Birmingham will make a worthwhile contribution to the strong revival of the local economy in the west midlands that is now under way. The insolvency service already has a considerable presence in Birmingham in terms of staff numbers, including one of its major official receiver's offices.