To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to retain the HM Revenue and Customs office in Southend. (244677)

HMRC’s latest staffing projections, published in December on the HMRC website at:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/local/change-programme.htm

indicate that about 1,500 HMRC staff will be needed in Southend by 2011. There are therefore no plans to revisit the decision announced in July 2007 to retain the HMRC office at Alexander house, Southend, which will be able to accommodate that number of staff.