New jobs at tax office
Last updated 11:41, Thursday, 03 July 2008
FIFTEEN new jobs are to be created at Carlisle’s tax office as part of a nationwide shake-up of HM Revenue & Customs.
The city’s Stocklund House office currently employs 75, which will increase to 90 by 2011 under proposals by the government.
HMRC is shedding about 25 per cent of its staff around the country in a streamlining of its operations.
Branches in Barrow, Kendal, Whitehaven and Penrith look set to be axed as part of the shake-up.
Carlisle MP Eric Martlew said: “This is very good news for the hard working HMRC staff in Carlisle, though the picture for the rest of the county remains unclear.”
Protests against the closures in Cumbria have mounted by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), workers and South Lakeland MP Tim Farron.
Most of the staff at Whitehaven, though, will be transferred to a new branch of HMRC to be opened at Lillyhall, near Workington, it has emerged. Up to 400 people will eventually work there.
Nationally, the government wants to shut up to 200 smaller tax offices and transfer the work to fewer larger offices and call centres.
It has now started an eight-week consultation period in which the chief stakeholders, including the unions, can make their submissions about the plan and suggest alternatives.
The government says the changes are in the most part for what it describes as ‘back office staff and processes only’.
It added: “Face to face tax services, through HMRC enquiry centres, will be retained where they currently exist or close by and where we work directly with customers our future business model will continue to provide face to face control.”
Reviews are being carried out on a regional basis and will continue to at least 2011.
MLegg@cngroup.co.uk
