Business of the House

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:30 pm on 18 March 2004.

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Photo of Peter Hain Peter Hain Chair, Modernisation of the House of Commons Committee, The Secretary of State for Wales, Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal 12:30, 18 March 2004

The Ministers responsible will have noted my hon. Friend's points on behalf of her constituents. I can reassure her that the proposed reorganisation of the Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise and the Department for Work and Pensions results from efficiency savings, principally the introduction of new technology. It will now be possible to divert resources from backroom staff who were needed before the introduction of IT and other efficiency savings to front-line services, so that we can recruit more police officers, nurses, teachers and others—including pensions staff—and those services can be delivered to our constituents.