Major Whitehall government buildings are to be shut by ministers as they seek to shed 12,000 civil servant jobs in London, while moving thousands of roles to cities across the UK.
Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister, said he would set a target of 50% of all senior civil servants being based outside London within five years, with the aim of policy being made closer to communities affected.
The Westminster offices of the Ministry of Justice at 102 Petty France and the Department of Health and Social Care at Victoria Street, as well as the Department for Work and Pensions at Caxton House, will be shut down along with eight other central London buildings, and their staff moved to other parts of the government estate.
It will take the number of full-time government staff working in Whitehall down from 95,000 to about 83,000,creating savingson central London property of about £94m a year.
Civil service unions largely welcomed the shift of jobs outside London but the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union urged the government to ensure no compulsory redundancies would take place and guarantee fair terms and conditions for those who choose to relocate.
Thousands of jobs will in future be based at an artificial intelligence (AI) and digital hub in Manchester, and an energy campus in Aberdeen, while other areas to benefit include Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Darlington, Newcastle and Tyneside, Sheffield, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast and York.
McFadden said it was about “taking more decision-making out of Whitehall and moving it closer to communities all across the UK”.
“By relocating thousands of civil service roles we will not only save taxpayers money, we will make this government one that better reflects the country it serves. We will also be making sure that government jobs support economic growth throughout the country,” he said.
Alex Thomas, programme director at the Institute for Government, said thousands of civil servants had already been moved out of London and the targets should be achievable, meaning talented civil servants can build their careers outside the capital.
However, he cautioned: “It would be a mistake to spray jobs across the country at random – civil servants benefit from working on campuses together, organised around a common theme. We’ve seen the benefits this can bring at the Darlington Economic Campus. But success takes hard work, and senior ministerial and official investment of time and resource.”
The plan will also mean more young entrants to the civil service can have careers in the government without ever having worked in Whitehall.
The government is not setting a target for how many jobs will be moved outside London, as some of the 12,000 jobs lost in London will not be replaced. Departments are responsible for coming up with plans about shifting their focus outside the capital as part of the spending review.
The Cabinet Office said the changes are projected to bring about £730m in local economic benefits to areas with new civil service hubs between 2024 and 2030.
Fran Heathcote, PCS’s general secretary, said:“PCS believes the civil service has a vital role to play in rebuilding the nation. We consider there should be improved access for workers to higher grade roles in the civil service across regions and nations. This will allow those workers to develop their careers without having to uproot from their families and communities; and it will assist economic regeneration in areas that need it.
“If these government proposals are to be successful, however, it’s important they do the right thing by workers currently based in London. That must include guarantees of no compulsory redundancies, no compulsory relocations and access to more flexible working arrangements to enable them to continue their careers should they wish to do so.”
Dave Penman, the FDA general secretary, said civil servants will welcome the commitments from the government “to ensure that, alongside the targets for moving greater numbers of roles outside of London, there’s a recognition that for this to be a success, civil servants need to be able to build careers for the longer-term across the UK, including in London where there will now be fewer opportunities”.“There will also be uncertainty for the thousands of civil servants affected by the office closures announced today. We need to hear quickly from the departments affected how this will be managed, not least how they will be affected by the office closures, relocation of roles out of London and reduction in headcount all happening at the same time,” he said.