HEREFORD TAX OFFICE CLOSURE ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT DETER LOCAL MP IN FIGHT TO SAVE JOBS

1.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 22nd Jul 2008

Paul Keetch, MP for Hereford, has worked with the staff and Union representatives of the Hereford HMRC offices currently based at Broadway House in the City Mr Keetch represents at Westminster to try and prevent the closure following HMRC proposals to rationalise their offices in the West Midlands. The MP had put counter proposals to the HMRC officials during the consultation period but on 16 July the decision to close Hereford was officially announced.

Commenting on the announcement, Paul Keetch said, "The closure does not come as a surprise frankly but the management of the potential job losses is of great concern to me. Having considered the proposals for the staff at Hereford I have written to Jane Kennedy, the Financial Secretary at the Treasury to seek an absolute assurance that no compulsory redundancies will be made.

"Every effort must be made to assist more than 80 staff who will need to relocate or possibly retrain to find other positions locally to remain employed.

"I am not satisfied that HMRC have adequately considered the impact of their decision to close Hereford because of its unique position within the West Midlands cluster and I will continue to support the calls of the staff and their clients who find the office invaluable."