Civil Service Relocation

Mrs. Ellman
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many jobs in his Department have been relocated (a) to Liverpool and (b) elsewhere as a result of the Lyons Review; and on how many occasions Liverpool has been considered for the relocation of staff under this programme.

Mr. Thomas
DFID has met its target under the Lyons Review which was the relocation of 85 posts outside London. All of these posts have been moved to our other UK office in East Kilbride.

At the time of the review, DFID was undertaking a refurbishment of the East Kilbride office, after which additional staff could be accommodated. This was therefore the most efficient and economic option for DFID, and relocation to a new third building in a city such as Liverpool was not considered to be a viable option, despite the undoubted attractions of many locations.