The Inland Revenue, Customs & Excise, Ministry of Defence and Department for Work and Pensions will be the most affected by the Lyons report on the decentralisation of Whitehall to be published on Monday.
Sir Michael Lyons told Estates Gazette at the MIPIM property show in Cannes last week that the four large departments would “contribute significantly” to the 20,000 civil servant jobs that could be moved from London and the South East as part of Chancellor Gordon Brown’s efficiency drive.
All government departments were asked to identify posts that could be relocated. The Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise have already begun to address their property costs by handing over their estates to the private sector, as has the DWP.
“The Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise can do more , and they feature prominently in these proposals. They are very alive to cost-saving opportunities, ” said Lyons.
However, a number of departments have failed to come up with sufficient proposals, said Lyons. “When departments say they need to have 2,000-4,000 people, I’m saying they haven’t done enough work on slimming down. HQs should house support for ministers and high-level policy staff.”
Brown is expected to push for early action on the report.
