Minister welcomes report’s call for almost 50,000 civil servants to move North

Minister for the Cabinet Office, Michael Gove, has welcomed a new report which makes the case for relocating as many as 49,500 civil servants from Whitehall to various locations across the North of England in a move which could put rocket boosters under the government’s levelling-up agenda.

The research published today by the Northern Policy Foundation (NPF), whose board members include a number of Northern Conservative MPs, analyses the current structure of the Civil Service and suggests the creation of 11 clusters across the North of England where departments and agencies could be relocated, estimating such a move could have an economic impact of nearly £3 billion a year.

The paper is authored by Tom Lees and Dr Sam Turnpenney, a former NASA data scientist, and uses a unique seven component Relocation Index to assess optimal areas in the North of England which could benefit most from the agglomeration effects of relocating government departments and agencies.

The majority of those Government departments would appear to be moving to the North West, with them spread across the region’s towns and cities. This includes suggestions that the Department for Education and OFSTED should locate in Lancaster, Department for Transport and the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government should move to Warrington, and the Ministry of Defence to Preston.

Yorkshire however would see HM Treasury locate to Leeds and both Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency move to York.

The index looks at population size, skill levels, job density, productivity levels, digital connectivity, house prices and the relevant “location quotient” that matches each department’s needs.

Alongside the suggestions, the report also analyses previous attempts made over the past 70 years to relocate officials to help boost regional economies.

The full list of proposed clusters is below however the index also suggestions alternative locations for some clusters could be Bolton, Darlington, North Lincolnshire, Middlesbrough and Sheffield.

 

Cluster Main departments Proposed location
Economic HM Treasury Leeds
Education

Department for Education

OFSTED

Lancaster
Business and jobs

BEIS

Department for Work and Pensions

Stockton-on-Tees
Health

Department for Health

NHS England

Liverpool
Trade Department for International Trade Trafford
Justice

Ministry of Justice

Supreme Court

HM Courts and Tribunal Service

Manchester
Infrastructure

Department for Transport

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Warrington
Crime fighting

Home Office

UK Border Force

HM Prison and Probation

Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Cultural Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport Salford
Environment and food

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Environment Agency

York
Defence Ministry of Defence Preston

Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office said: “Over decades there has been a growing disconnect between the Government machine and those which it seeks to help.

Adding, that “Despite efforts of the past” all the major departments are still based in the capital, “with the concentration of senior, policy and economic jobs that comes with it”.

Although reiterating the Government’s promise to level-up “work to reduce the distance between Government and the people”, he added: “This report adds to the economic, social, moral and intellectual imperative for change as well as laying out some of the benefits to levelling-up, decision making, tackling groupthink and ensuring that powerful voices within every arm of government are better in tune with the majority of public opinion.”

Tom Lees, director of the Northern Policy Foundation

Tom Lees, director of the Northern Policy Foundation said: “The Civil Service, particularly the senior ranks, is in need of significant reform. It lacks diversity of thought, background and life experience.

“Moving Whitehall mandarins and roles out of London allows for recruitment of local people with different backgrounds who are hopefully more in tune with what the public thinks. Given the proliferation of Zoom, Teams and other technology there is no real need to be in close physical proximity.”

Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of the NP11 group of Northern LEPs added: “The North has long faced disparity in areas such as productivity, R&D spending and life expectancy compared to the South of the country, and the case made in this interesting and thoughtful report underlines the clear impact that relocating more senior, policy-focused public sector jobs would have upon opportunities across the region.

“With strengths in world-leading industries and an impressive talent roster, the North is a prime place for relocation – and, if delivered in the right way, relocation will in turn see departments reap the benefits and thrive.”

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