North East government hubs set to expand

Civil service roles are to be relocated from London to north-east England.

The Cabinet Office said it would aim to move about 12,000 roles to Tyneside, Darlington and 11 other areas from the capital.

More than 32,100 full-time equivalent roles are already based in the North East, with a significant part of the Treasury based in Darlington.

The Cabinet Office said it was keen to create jobs "outside London".

The 13 locations include York, Greater Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds.

The government said the move was projected to bring £729m of economic benefit to the areas by 2030.

The Cabinet Office said government departments would next submit plans for how many roles they planned to move to the North East after the spending review.

Civil servants working in regional offices outside of London would continue to be expected to follow central guidance of 60% minimum in-office attendance.

It comes as officials at the Cabinet Office were told in April that 2,100 of their 6,500 jobs would be cut or moved to other parts of government over the next two years, under "radical" plans.

Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said the move would "save taxpayers money" and would "make sure that government jobs support economic growth throughout the country".

Mr McFadden said the government would "take more decision-making out of Whitehall and move it closer to communities".

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "The North East is already at the heart of the Civil Service, with the Treasury's second headquarters in Darlington.

"And we're going further, prioritising Darlington and Tyneside alongside other towns and cities, as we rebalance the Civil Service and create new jobs outside London."

The spokesperson added that the office would be working with colleges and universities to get the "very best local talent".

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