|
HMRC
announces modernisation programme in the North West
NEW, modern regional centres in
Liverpool and Manchester underline HMRC's long term commitment to the region.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced the next step in its 10 year
modernisation programme to create a Tax Authority fit for the future, committing
to high quality jobs and the creation of 2 new regional centres in Liverpool and
Manchester by 2019 to 2020.
This supports the Government's commitment to building a:- 'Northern
Powerhouse',
with the north having around 40% of HMRC staff located there by 2020 to 2021
with between 8,400 and 9,000 full time equivalent employees in the North West.
The modernisation programme, now at the halfway point, includes investment in
new online services, data analytics, new compliance techniques, new skills and
new ways of working, to make it easier for the honest majority of customers to
pay their Tax, including by improving customer service, and harder for the
dishonest minority to cheat the system. The changes have already resulted in
over 80% of people filing their Self Assessment returns online and given
customers new, simple ways to check their payments, make changes or find answers
to questions.
HMRC's workforce in the region is currently spread throughout 24 offices, many
of which are a legacy of the 1960's and 1970's, which range in size from around
1770 people to fewer than 15. By bringing them together in large, modern
offices, equipped with digital infrastructure and training facilities, HMRC will
support more skilled jobs and varied career paths up to senior levels with less
need to move around the country. HMRC expects between 2,800 and 3,100 full time
equivalent employees to work in the Liverpool regional centre and between 5,600
and 5,900 full time equivalent employees to work in the Manchester centre.
HMRC will close most of its existing offices in the North West by 2020 to 2021, as it
moves most employees into the new regional centres.
Where offices are a long way from a regional centre and it is not possible for
employees to move to work in 1, HMRC will do everything it reasonably can to
help them to find new roles, either elsewhere in the Civil Service, or outside,
in order to minimise redundancies.
Lin Homer, HMRC's Chief Executive, said:- "HMRC is committed to modern,
regional centres serving every region and nation in the UK, with skilled and
varied jobs and development opportunities, while also ensuring jobs are spread
throughout the UK and not concentrated in the capital.
HMRC has too many expensive, isolated and outdated offices. This makes it
difficult for us to collaborate, modernise our ways of working, and make the
changes we need to transform our service to customers and clamp down further on
the minority who try to cheat the system.
The new regional centres in Liverpool and Manchester will bring our staff
together in more modern and cost effective buildings in areas with lower rents.
They will also make a big contribution to the economy of the North West region
providing high quality, skilled jobs and supporting the Government's commitment
to a national recovery that benefits all parts of the UK."
The changes will enable HMRC to give customers the modern services they now
expect at a lower cost to the Taxpayer, meeting the Government's challenge for
all departments to do more with less. |
