Training Toolkit

Tech investment hits civil service jobs

Kable

Published: 13 Jul 2004 10:45 BST

Chancellor Gordon Brown has said the government's investment in technology paved the way for impending civil service job cuts.

Brown outlined the position as part of his statement on the 2004 Spending Review, made to the House of Commons on Monday.

The headlines have emphasised his announcement that 104,000 civil service jobs will be shed around the UK in order to provide for greater investment in frontline services. The chancellor expressed his appreciation of the work of civil servants, but said that manpower could be reduced due largely to the investment in IT.

He claimed it was "precisely because the public sector has invested £6bn in new technology, modernising our ability to provide back office and transactional services", that he could announced the gross reduction of civil service jobs. This comprises reductions of 84,150 in England and another 20,000 in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Brown also promised support for public servants.

"And because of the scale of the overall reductions I can tell the House that in each area of the country public servants asked to change jobs will be offered support with retraining and we are ready to work with the workforce and their unions to provide that help," he said.