Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 10 February 2016
10 Feb 2016 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Portfolio Question Time
HM Revenue and Customs (Centralisation)
Finance, Constitution and Economy
As I indicated in my letter to Margaret McCulloch on 27 January, I know that we share concerns about the organisational change programme that HMRC announced on 12 November. Over a 10-year period, the number of HMRC jobs in Scotland is estimated to reduce by around 825, as local offices are closed and centralised in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
That is a worrying situation for staff, those whom they serve and the local economies concerned. We are fully committed to working with all interested parties at local, national and United Kingdom level, including the trade unions, in order to mitigate the impact of HMRC office closures in Scotland.
In the same item of business
1. Margaret McCulloch (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
To ask the Scottish Government what the impact would be on Scotland’s economy of the proposed centralisation of HM Revenue and Customs offices. (S4O-05534)
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy (John Swinney)
SNP
As I indicated in my letter to Margaret McCulloch on 27 January, I know that we share concerns about the organisational change programme that HMRC announced ...
Margaret McCulloch
Lab
I thank the cabinet secretary for that response and for his correspondence with me about the impact of the planned HMRC closures in my region. What plans do...
John Swinney
SNP
In my earlier answer, I signalled my willingness to work with all relevant parties to make that case. We have been in touch with the UK Government on the iss...
Linda Fabiani (East Kilbride) (SNP)
SNP
Is the cabinet secretary aware that the announced closure date of the HMRC operation in East Kilbride is dependent on the lease negotiations for the building...
John Swinney
SNP
Linda Fabiani highlights some of the practical and detailed issues that it will be challenging to address. I reiterate what I said: the Government is willin...