James Duddridge, Member of Parliament for Rochford and Southend East took part in a debate in the House of Commons, where he spoke up against HMRC office closures in Southend.
Since the Government announced their plans to close up to 200 HM Revenue and Customs offices, James has been very concerned about the detrimental effect that the closures would have in Southend, which originally had three HM Revenue and Customs offices at Portcullis House, Alexander House and Tylers House. HM Revenue and Customs now plan to only retain Alexandra House, reducing the number of people employed by HM Revenue and Customs in Southend down to 1500 compared to nearly 2,500 in 2004.
In the debate, James also commented about the lack of communication and inconsistency between Government departments and urged the Government to further consider the Lyons review, which advised that Government departments should not have offices in the south and other more prosperous areas.
Speaking after the debate, James said:
“I have been very concerned about the Government’s plans to close offices in Southend. We were originally led to believe that there were to be no job losses as a result of these proposals. This is clearly not the case. Many local people have contacted me about their concerns about job security. It is a bitter blow for Southend that it is the Government who are removing employment opportunities away from the town.”
“Government departments have demonstrated enormous inconsistencies here, with the department for Communities and local Government acknowledging Southend as a regeneration zone, whereas HM Treasury are removing jobs from the town. The Lyons review is in desperate need of further consideration, in order for the Government to look beyond the current regional categories that are in place, which has resulted in the needs of areas within these regions, such as Southend, being ignored”
6 March 2009