To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial savings he expects to accrue from the closure of the HM Revenue and Customs offices in (a) Hawick and (b) Galashiels, broken down by (i) financial year and (ii) each category of expense representing five per cent. or more of the total savings in each year. (222818)

No final decision has been taken to close the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) offices at Hawick and Galashiels. HMRC announced proposals for the possible closure of both offices on 11 June 2008 and, as part of their normal commitment to consultation with stakeholders including staff and customers, have invited feedback. I expect to take decisions on these and other proposals based on HMRC’s recommendations following feedback from the consultation exercise and after detailed feasibility work has been carried out by them. Estates financial savings are neither the sole nor the primary factor in making those decisions.

Overall, estates savings in Scotland in the period 2007-08 to 2011-12 are currently estimated at around £23.8 million. HMRC is unable to disclose the financial savings from closure of individual buildings because the release of this information would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of HMRC’s Private Finance Initiative (PFI) accommodation partners and to impact upon wider aspects of the way in which PFIs operate in the Department and in the wider Government.