§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress Departments and agencies are making under the Government's relocation policy.
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§ Mr. DorrellSince March 1988, 14,300 civil service jobs have been located or relocated outside the south-east. A further 11,400 are to follow and a further 3,200 were under review at the end of June. This compares with a total of 6,000 posts which were moved or created outside the south-east under the centrally directed dispersal programme that operated between 1979 and 1988.
Until 1988, the dispersal programme was centrally directed. Since 1988, Departments have been required to review the location of their work systematically against a value-for-money test. This decentralised approach has resulted in the establishment outside the south-east of over twice as many civil service jobs in the last four years as in the previous eight. Details are given in the table.
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Department Posts Posts already moved South West MOD 460 Charity Commission 160 Treasury Solicitor 125 Other departments 230 Total 975 Posts yet to move MOD 3,770 DSS 495 Other departments 85 Total 4,350 Posts already moved West Midlands? Land Registry 790 MOD 250 DTI 135 Transport 105 Other departments 250 Total 1,530 Posts yet to move DSS 415 Other departments 110 Total 525 Posts already moved East Midlands Inland Revenue 770 Land Registry 180 Transport 120 Other departments 20 Total 1,090 Posts yet to move Inland Revenue 1,155 Other departments 80 Total 1,235 Posts already moved North West DSS 620 Inland Revenue 530 Customs 625 Employment 475 Home Office 250 Land Registry 240 OPCS 230 Other departments 95 Total 3,065 377W
Department Posts Posts yet to move Customs 1,005 DSS 495 Inland Revenue 110 Total 1,610 Posts already moved Northern DSS 845 Inland Revenue 420 Intervention Board 300 Land Registry 290 Education 100 Other departments 80 Total 2,035 Posts yet to move Education 45 Total 45 Posts already moved Yorkshire and Humberside Employment 850 DSS 585 Health 540 Land Registry 290 Other departments 120 Total 2,385 Posts yet to move Health 630 MAFF 1,000 DSS 50 CPS 50 Inland Revenue 15 Total 1,745 Posts already moved East Anglia All departments 65 Total 65 Posts yet to move MOD 390 Cabinet Office 200 Total 590 Posts already moved Scotland Inland Revenue 370 DSS 570 Other departments 200 Total 1,140 Posts yet to move DSS 490 Inland Revenue 125 Total 615 Posts already moved Wales DTI 1,010 Inland Revenue 320 MOD 50 Other departments 130 Total 1,510
Department Posts Posts yet to move MOD 95 Total 95 Posts already moved Northern Ireland DSS 435 Inland Revenue 100 Total 535 Posts yet to move DSS 485 Customs 100 Other departments 50 Total 635 More details of these moves and moves within the south-east are being placed in the House of Commons Library.
Departments and agencies also consider moving to sites within the south-east. Over the year to June 1992, 1,500 posts were identified for cost-effective transfer within the south-east and at 30 June 10,500 posts were under review for possible relocation within the south-east, a substantial increase on past years.
In addition, a number of Departments, notably the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Social Security, have moved or are moving civil servants between areas outside the south-east. The Ministry of Defence is also relocating service personnel throughout the country.