§ Mr. BentonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the demolition of St. John's house in Bootle; how many civil servants are currently employed there; and what provision is being made for the continuation of their functions.
§ Sir George YoungSt. John's house in Bootle is occupied by 1,650 Inland Revenue staff and 200 Home Office staff. The building is in need of major refurbishment and staff have had to put up with poor working conditions for a number of years. Detailed option studies were undertaken by Property Holdings and the Inland Revenue to consider how the problems associated with the building could be resolved. Having considered all the options, including value for money, the decision has been taken to demolish the whole of St. John's house and to put in its place a new, but smaller, building which will house 850 of the existing occupants. The other 1,000 Inland Revenue staff will move to private leased accommodation elsewhere in Bootle. There are no plans to move work out of Bootle and the Inland Revenue remains committed to retaining a substantial presence in Bootle.