The Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Stephen Timms, in a Written Ministerial Statement today said that:
'HMRC's regional review programme, which began in 2006, has been a massive and complex task. When HMRC was created in April 2005 from the Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise it had 105,000 staff and two separate office networks with a total of 590 office buildings in well over 300 locations.
'Throughout the review programme HMRC has consulted on its proposals with staff, trade unions and key external stakeholders including MPs to ensure that no relevant factors were overlooked during the decision-making process.
'These have not been easy decisions. However, the overriding consideration has to be the Department's need to address new and challenging customer demands by restructuring its business and estate in the most effective and efficient way possible.'
Between now and 2012 HMRC plans to withdraw from locations as circumstances allow and at a pace which enables it to maintain and improve customer services.
All enquiry centres where customers can walk into an office and ask for assistance will remain in their current location or nearby.
Decisions in Yorkshire and The Humber
In the cluster and individual locations within the East Region, 19 office buildings will house the Department's future operations and 18 office buildings are due to be vacated. HMRC will vacate office buildings on a phased basis beginning in 2009 and does not expect to fully vacate all office buildings in the East before summer 2011.
As announced at the start of the consultation in June 2008, the Enquiry Centre at Hitchin was excluded from the feasibility process as it is being retained in its current locality. All other enquiry centre services will remain either at their current location or an alternative site nearby.
Following feasibility studies and consultation, three changes have been made to the original proposals published in June 2008. We will now retain Government Buildings in Chelmsford, Southgate House in Stevenage and Exchange House in Watford.
The buildings being retained (excluded from this review):
The buildings being retained are:
The buildings being vacated are:
Impact Assessments have been published for those buildings we intend to vacate.
In the cluster and individual locations within the North West Region, four office buildings will house the Department's future operations and 12 office buildings are due to be vacated. HMRC will vacate office buildings on a phased basis beginning in winter 2008 and does not expect to fully vacate all office buildings in the North West before spring 2011.
As announced at the start of the consultation in June 2008 the Enquiry Centre at 75 Every Street in Nelson was excluded from this review as HMRC was already in discussion with staff regarding relocation to Jobcentre Plus locations. Enquiry centre services will now be provided from the following Jobcentre Plus locations: full-time in Colne and part-time in Nelson. All other enquiry centre services will remain either at their current location or an alternative site nearby.
Also, at the time of consultation, HMRC's plans for Whitehaven were still under consideration and Blencathra House was excluded from the review. HMRC now plans to open a new Contact Centre in Lillyhall and therefore Blencathra House in Whitehaven will be vacated.
Following feasibility studies and consultation, the original proposals published in June 2008 will go forward to implementation.
New location acquired
The buildings being vacated (excluded from this review):
The buildings being retained are:
The buildings being vacated are:
Impact Assessments have been published for those buildings we intend to vacate.
In the cluster and individual locations within the South West Region, 15 office buildings will house the Department's future operations and 19 office buildings are due to be vacated. HMRC will vacate office buildings on a phased basis beginning in 2009 and does not expect to fully vacate all office buildings in the South West before spring 2011.
Enquiry centre services will remain either at their current location or an alternative site nearby.
Following feasibility studies and consultation, two changes have been made to the original proposals published in June 2008. We will now retain St Johns House in Poole and Lysnoweth in Truro.
The buildings being retained are:
The buildings being vacated are:
Impact Assessments have been published for those buildings we intend to vacate.
In the cluster and individual locations within the Yorkshire and The Humber Region, six office buildings will house the Department's future operations and nine office buildings are due to be vacated. HMRC will vacate office buildings on a phased basis beginning in 2010 and does not expect to fully vacate all office buildings in Yorkshire and The Humber before spring 2011.
As announced at the start of the consultation in June 2008 the Enquiry Centre at Goole was excluded from the feasibility process as this building will be retained. All other enquiry centre services will remain either at their current location or an alternative site nearby.
Following feasibility studies and consultation, one change has been made to the original proposals published in June 2008. We will now vacate St Peter's House, Doncaster.
The buildings being retained (excluded from this review):
The buildings being retained are:
The buildings being vacated are:
Impact Assessments have been published for those buildings we intend to vacate.
In the cluster and individual locations within Northern Ireland, five office buildings will house the Department's future operations and five office buildings are due to be vacated. HMRC will vacate office buildings on a phased basis beginning in 2010 and does not expect to fully vacate all office buildings in Northern Ireland before spring 2011.
Enquiry centre services will remain either at their current location or an alternative site nearby.
Following feasibility studies and consultation, two changes have been made to the original proposals published in June 2008. We will now retain Marlborough House, Craigavon and vacate Downshire House, Newry.
The buildings being retained are:
The buildings being vacated are:
Impact Assessments have been published for those buildings we intend to vacate.
On 11 June 2008 HMRC published an Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) for public consultation on the proposals for the HMRC estate in Northern Ireland (outside of the Belfast urban centre). A Summary Report of the Consultation Responses received was published on 15 October 2008 and the EQIA Final Report is published today. This report outlines HMRC's decisions on the proposals and the ongoing mitigating actions being taken in order to minimise any adverse equality impacts identified. We have received guidance and support on the consultation process as a whole, and these documents from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
In the cluster and individual locations within Scotland, nine office buildings will house the Department's future operations and 20 office buildings are due to be vacated. HMRC will vacate office buildings on a phased basis beginning in 2010 and does not expect to fully vacate all office buildings in Scotland before spring 2012.
As announced at the start of the consultation in June 2008 the three office buildings in Aberdeen, Lerwick and Ullapool were excluded from the review and are being retained as the original analysis of staffing projections and available accommodation identified a good match.
The Enquiry Centre in Kirkcaldy was also excluded from the feasibility process as this building will be retained. All other enquiry centre services, including those provided from the Job Centre Plus in Buckie, will remain either at their current location or an alternative site nearby.
Following feasibility studies and consultation, three changes has been made to the original proposals published in June 2008. We will now retain Marress House, Irvine and vacate Russell House, Ayr and Liberator House, Prestwick.
The buildings being retained (excluded from this review):
The buildings being retained are:
The buildings being vacated are:
Impact Assessments have been published for those buildings we intend to vacate.
In the cluster and individual locations within Wales, six office buildings will house the Department's future operations and 11 office buildings are due to be vacated. HMRC will vacate office buildings on a phased basis beginning in 2010 and does not expect to fully vacate all office buildings in Wales before spring 2012.
As announced at the start of the staff consultation in June 2008 the office building in Holyhead has not been part of the review and will be retained.
Enquiry centre services will remain either at their current location or an alternative site nearby.
Following feasibility studies and consultation, two changes have been made to the original proposals published in June 2008. We will now retain Government Buildings in Merthyr Tydfil and vacate Crown Buildings in Aberystwyth.
The buildings being retained (excluded from this review):
The buildings being retained are:
The buildings being vacated are:
Impact Assessments have been published for those buildings we intend to vacate.
