(Mid Derbyshire)
(Con): Whether he is taking steps to move parts of the
public sector workforce to Derby.
The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office ( ): The Government are
committed to looking beyond London to all corners of the UK in
the relocation of civil service and public sector roles. Through
our Places for Growth programme, circa 6,000 roles have so far
been relocated to our locations for growth. This includes more
than 100 roles in the east midlands. As of December 2021, there
were 980 roles in Derby from Departments such as the Department
for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Justice.
Mrs Latham: The Minister will be aware that the east
midlands has the lowest concentration of civil servants of any UK
region, and Derby is right at the bottom. I have been campaigning
to bring the headquarters of Great British
Railways to Derby, which would help to solve this
problem and would connect this country’s private and public
sector rail industries. Does she agree that having the
headquarters of Great British
Railways in Derby would support the Government’s
ambition to level up the country?
Mrs Wheeler: I thank my hon. Friend and constituency
neighbour. As a Derbyshire MP, it is serendipitous that I have
the joy of answering this question.
The national headquarters of Great British
Railways will be outside London, demonstrating our
commitment to levelling up. A shortlist of six exceptional
applications, including the exceptional Derby, will now compete
to be chosen. A six-week consultation and public vote— I urge
everybody in Derbyshire to vote—will run until 15 August,
allowing people across Great Britain to make their voice heard. I
declare my interest as a Derbyshire MP, as I think I said at the
beginning. During the public vote, the rail Minister, my hon.
Friend the Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (), will visit each of the six
shortlisted locations to hear and learn directly from
representatives.
