End of an era for Inland Revenue and Customs - 17 March 2004

The Union of Senior Revenue Officials* (USRO) today said it would be sorry to see the end of the Inland Revenue, a Department that has served a country well for over 150 years. The Chancellor announced in his budget statement today that he has accepted the recommendations contained in the review of the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise carried out by Gus O'Donnell, Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, that the two Departments should merge to form a new department. Stephen Bibby, President of USRO, said: "Times change and we accept that in the 21st century we may need new and improved structures to ensure the smooth flow of revenue to the Exchequer and to give better customer service. "However, many important details will have to be considered by the new management. We are in particular concerned about the nature of potential job losses, the locations in which our members will work in future and likely career patterns. We will be seeking discussions with the new management over all these issues. New structures should also offer new opportunities and any changes should be implemented in a way that both achieves the Chancellor's objectives and provides rewarding careers for our members." * The Union of Senior Revenue Officials is an independent trade union representing senior staff within the Inland Revenue. It is also a section of the FDA, the union of choice for senior managers and professionals in public service, which represents members of senior staff across the civil service. Ends Notes for Editors 1. The FDA is the trade union and professional body representing the UK's 11,000 senior civil and public servants. Our members include policy advisors, senior managers, tax inspectors, economists, statisticians, accountants, special advisers, government lawyers, crown prosecutors and NHS managers. 2. For further information contact: