Government 'trying to move jobs out of Highlands'

UNIONS claimed yesterday that the government was trying to move civil service jobs from the Highlands to Edinburgh - despite an Executive policy of relocating jobs out of the Central Belt.

The Public and Commercial Services Union warned that tax office jobs were being moved out of Inverness and taken to Edinburgh, against official policy, and called for the plans to be halted.

A spokesman for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs admitted that jobs were being lost from Inverness over time, but he denied any suggestion that workers would have to move south.

The forced transfer of the Scottish Natural Heritage base from the capital to Inverness caused an angry controversy for the Executive over its relocation policy. Ministers defended the policy, saying it was of benefit to the Highlands, despite an estimated cost of £27 million.

But now unions claim the UK government's drive to reduce civil service numbers will see tax jobs in Inverness transferred to Edinburgh or Glasgow by the tax service.

There are 119 tax staff working in Inverness, a total which is due to shrink to 70 by 2010. A spokesman for HMRC said most of these jobs would go through natural wastage, but some of the work would go to other offices, including Edinburgh.