MP CONDEMNS PROPOSED CLOSURE OF LOCAL HMRC OFFICES

8.52.47am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 12th Jun 2008

Local MP Michael Moore has condemned today's announcement by H M Revenue and Customs of the proposed closure of the tax offices in Hawick and Galashiels.

Mr Moore has been working with the members of staff in the two locations to try to resolve the uncertainty surrounding these offices ever since the announcement was made in November 2006 of a review into their future. This review followed the Prime Minister's decision to undertake a complete restructure of the civil service.

Today's announcement of the proposed closures of the two offices will be followed by an eight week consultation period. Speaking immediately after the announcement was made, Mr Moore said:

"Today's announcement will be a terrible blow to the members of staff of Galashiels and Hawick tax offices. They are skilled employees whom we cannot afford to lose from the Borders.

"It is frankly ludicrous that it has taken eighteen months for H M Revenue and Customs officials to complete their review and come to this devastating conclusion. I have been working with the employees since the beginning of December 2006, and it is regrettable that they have been left in limbo since that time, with delay heaped upon delay.

"The announcement of the proposed closures of both offices smacks of overbearing centralisation. The UK Government has made great play of their policy of locating civil service jobs outwith the major cities, but today's announcement reveals this to be an utter fallacy."

In a letter to the Chairman of HMRC sent immediately after the announcement, Mr Moore said:

"This announcement raises a whole series of questions, not least over the lack of recognition of my request for the involvement of Scottish Borders Council in the impact assessment and feasibility study. How do HMRC officials propose to get round the fact that these offices are not within the allowed commuting times for re-deployed staff? What exactly will be left after this process and how will my constituents in this vast rural area be served by HMRC?

"Given what has gone on over the past eighteen months, I strongly feel this is about to be a sham consultation. I look forward to a prompt, locally relevant reply."