Efficiency Gains and Job Cuts
As part of the Spending Review on 12 July 2004, Gordon Brown estimated that 12,500 jobs would be lost as result of the merger by March 2008, around 14% of the combined headcount of Customs (then around 23,000) and Inland Revenue (then around 68,000). In addition, 2,500 staff would be redeployed to "front-line" activities. Estimates suggest this may save around £300 million in staff costs, out of a total annual budget of £4 billion. There are indications that, after March 2008, a further 12,500 jobs may also be cut.
The total number of job losses included policy functions within the former Inland Revenue and Customs which moved into the Treasury, so that the Treasury became responsible for "strategy and tax policy development" and HMRC took responsibility for "policy maintenance". In addition, certain investigatory functions moved to the new Serious Organised Crime Agency, as well as prosecutions moving to the new Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office.
A further programme of job cuts and office closures was announced on 16 November 2006. Whilst some of the offices closed will be in bigger cities where other offices already exist, many will be in local, rural areas, where there is no other HMRC presence. The numbers of job reductions and office closures has not been officially announced, but the proposals imply that up to 200 offices will close and a further 12,500 jobs were to be lost from 2008 to 2011. In May 2009, staff morale in HMRC was the lowest of 11 government departments surveyed.
Read more about this topic: HM Revenue And Customs
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