On the news that the Inverness HMRC Office will be closing between April 2017 and April 2018, affecting 64 staff Drew Hendry MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey said:
“It is a devastating blow given that the scale of the job losses are far worse than anyone was prepared for. It is unacceptable that these staff should lose their jobs because of their location especially when their skills are so obviously needed in other areas of the organisation. These highly skilled, dedicated workers who are being punished because they do not fit in with the HMRC’s plans, which in my opinion given the well-publicised difficulties HMRC are having with their daily operations is a bizarre decision.
“The level of job losses in our area is distressing and shows a complete lack of understanding and commitment to supporting people in the Highlands & Islands. As appalling as this is locally, this announcement also affects other Scottish offices and will shock people across the country. I will step up the work with Fergus Ewing MSP and colleagues in other areas to press the UK government to rethink these plans.”
Fergus Ewing MSP for Inverness & Nairn added “It is deeply concerning that HMRC management are making this announcement at a time when the pressure upon their office has never been greater.”
Dave Thompson SNP MSP covering Loch Ness, Aird, Dingwall and the Black Isle said: “My constituents are directly affected by this proposed closure, not just because jobs are at risk, but because the office was there to provide local advice to tax payers. This is at a time when there is unprecedented criticism of the service HMRC supplies to the public, with millions a year abandoning telephone calls after waiting over ten minutes to be answered.”