Sheffield MP quizzes Government over where staff reponsible for '˜northern powerhouse' are based

Almost all of the senior civil servants employed by the Government department responsible for promoting the so-called northern powerhouse initiative are based in London.
Labour MP Louise HaighLabour MP Louise Haigh
Labour MP Louise Haigh

The Department for Communities and Local Government has confirmed that 97.6 per cent of its senior civil servants are based in the nation’s capital.

The statistic was published following a written parliamentary question from Labour MP Louise Haigh, who represents Sheffield Heeley.

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Meanwhile, a response to another written question from Ms Haigh states that 91.8 of the department’s core policy civil servants are based in London.

The aim of the northern powerhouse project is to promote economic prosperity in the north of England.

A DCLG spokesman said a quarter of the department’s overall staff works ‘across the country’.

He said: “The reality is senior civil servants account for less than five per cent of the department’s workforce, while over a quarter of our staff work across the country.

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“The northern powerhouse is about empowering local people not relocating civil servants from London to tell them what to do.

“We are determined to rebalance the economy through the devolution of powers away from Westminster.”