North East Conservative MPs are pushing the Government to move more civil service jobs out of London and in to our region.
More than 1,300 jobs are to be created in Darlington, as part of a plan to move officials out of Whitehall. The aim is to improve the way decisions are made, provide a boost to the region's economy and reduce office costs.
But MPs told Cabinet Minister Michael Gove that the Government should go further.
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North West Durham MP Richard Holden said a controversial newly-built county hall in Durham could be used to house civil servants. Conservatives, who now run the council in partnership with Liberal Democrats and independent councillors, have accused the former Labour administration of wasting £50 million on the building.
Mr Holden asked Mr Gove: "To prevent it from becoming an enormous white elephant ... will he commit to working with the new joint administration in Durham County Council to explore all the possibilities that this new facility might have?"
Sedgefield MP Paul Howell also called for the new county hall to be used. He asked Mr Gove: "Relocation of Government Departments is a key part of levelling up. Could I ask him to encourage his friends in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to consider placing the Advanced Research and Invention Agency in the new county hall being built in Durham, which the new administration are reviewing the options for?"
Darlington MP Peter Gibson told Mr Gove: "Whether because of the 750 civil service jobs in the Treasury, the 500 senior civil servants from the Department for International Trade or the 100 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy officials, the Westminster-on-Tees new economic campus is set to be a busy place.
"Does he agree that moving civil service jobs outside London is vital to ensuring that communities across the country are reflected in national policy decisions?"
The MPs received an enthusiastic response, but no firm promises. Mr Gove told them: "We must ensure that we make use of the fantastic local talent that there is in the North East and County Durham so that people whose voices have not been heard loudly enough in the corridors of power are properly represented."
He said: "The Government are committed to relocating 22,000 civil service roles from London by the end of the decade. Our 'Places for Growth' portfolio is a vehicle to ensure that between now and 2030 the civil service becomes better connected with the people and communities it serves.
"A number of Departments have already made announcements about relocation, and further announcements will be made in due course."
But Mr Gove also appeared to cast a little doubt about the idea of moving jobs to Durham as, perhaps out of politeness to Mr Holden, whose constituency includes the town of Consett, he said: "I should say that if it was a choice between Durham and Consett for the relocation of Government jobs, I would choose Consett every time."
