Select Committee · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Planning for the future of the Government’s estates

Status: Closed Opened: 17 Oct 2022 Closed: 31 Oct 2023 9 recommendations 10 conclusions 1 report

In 2018, the Government unveiled an ambitious estates strategy, aiming to make substantial savings, encourage regional growth, and diversify the culture of the Civil Service. This inquiry will examine progress, led by the Cabinet Office and Government Property Agency, in delivering against this strategy and learning from previous policies on estates rationalisation and Civil Service …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Eighth Report - Where Civil Servants Work: Planning for the… HC 793 27 Jul 2023 19 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

1 item
13 Conclusion Eighth Report - Where Civil Servants Wo… Rejected

Civil service relocation not a replacement for addressing underlying pay issues

The stagnation of civil service pay poses challenges for retention, recruitment, and morale—and may in some cases lead to real hardship. Moving posts out of the capital, where costs of living are lower and where the Government does not pay a London premium on civil service salaries, has the potential …

Government response. The government acknowledged that civil service pay is a difficult area, but provided no commitment to address the recommendation that relocation should not replace addressing underlying pay issues.

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
28 Mar 2023 Alex Burghart MP · Cabinet Office, Ravi Chand CBE · Cabinet Office, Steven Boyd MBE · Government Property Agency View ↗
21 Feb 2023 Amy Leversidge · The FDA Trade Union, Garry Graham · Prospect, Geoff Lewtas · Public and Commercial Services Union, Martin Kelsey · Public and Commercial Services Union View ↗
31 Jan 2023 Alex Thomas · Institute for Government, Jordan Urban · Institute for Government, Professor Tony Travers · The LSE School of Public Policy View ↗
13 Dec 2022 Kate Caulkin · The National Audit Office, Ruth Kelly · The National Audit Office, Siân Jones · The National Audit Office View ↗

Correspondence

2 letters
DateDirectionTitle
23 May 2023 To cttee Letter from Alex Burghart MP on follow up evidence after the 28 March oral evid…
28 Mar 2023 To cttee Letter from Alex Burghart MP, Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office on the Govern…