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The minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency said taxpayers should not have to “fork out for half-empty buildings”.<\/p>\n
Mr Rees-Mogg will next week publish a Government Property Strategy aimed at realising £2billion in savings from sales and efficiencies that will consolidate staff into fewer buildings.<\/p>\n
In June, the Cabinet Office announced a Places for Growth programme that seeks to move 22,000 roles out of the capital by 2030.<\/p>\n
Mr Rees-Mogg said: “We have seen over the last year that expensive office space in central London has been under-utilised. Why should the taxpayer be made to fork out for half-empty buildings?”<\/p>\n
He added: “All spending on government property needs to be justified.”<\/p>\n
Mr Rees-Mogg called on civil servants to return to offices after Covid restrictions ended.<\/p>\n
The former Commons leader left calling cards in “deserted” Whitehall workspaces and wrote to ministers urging them to coerce staff into a “rapid return to the office”.<\/p>\n
The FDA union which represents senior civil servants branded the approach “crass” and “condescending”.<\/p>\n