BORDERS MP TABLES AMENDMENT AT WESTMINSTER AGAINST LOCAL REVENUE AND CUSTOMS OFFICE CLOSURES

11.08.45am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 5th May 2008

Local MP Michael Moore has tabled an amendment at Westminster calling for there to be no closures of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs Offices in the Borders.

Last year, Gordon Brown announced a restructuring of the civil service, resulting in great uncertainty over the future of jobs within the tax offices in Hawick and Galashiels. A review is due to begin shortly into the future of the HMRC offices under the wider Regional Review Programme of HMRC.

Mr Moore fears for the future of the local HMRC offices, and has tabled an amendment to a parliamentary motion at Westminster which recognises the detrimental impact that any closures would have on the local area and calls upon the Government to withdraw their threat.

Mr Moore, who has also been pressing for there to be full involvement of the Council's Planning and Economic Development Department in the review of the local offices, said:

"Any loss of civil service jobs in the Borders as a result of the Government's restructure would completely fly in the face of their stated policy of relocating civil service jobs to rural areas. The benefits of this policy are well understood, and have been well recognised by Ministers.

"It is regrettable that things have dragged on for so long now, with great uncertainty over the future of these local jobs. These are skilled employees who have been left in limbo. It is time this review got underway, with the full involvement of Council officials who will be able to demonstrate clearly the folly of any closure plans."