It seems that North Lanarkshire Council is a wee bit afraid of HMRC.
That at least must be the conclusion to be drawn re the council's refusal to conduct an impact assessment of HMRC's closure of its Cumbernauld office.
Cumbernauld News reports that Stuart McDonald MP and Jamie Hepburn MSP, who represent the Cumbernauld area at Westminster and Holyrood respectively, addressed an open letter to NLC calling for research into the potential effect of the closure of HMRC’s Cumbernauld office as part of a civil service shakeup, having initially proposed this in March.
Mr Hepburn added:
“A similar assessment has already been carried out by West Lothian Council so there is absolutely no reason why NLC cannot support these plans.”Mr McDonald said:
“Frustratingly, despite numerous attempts to get some kind of response to our request for an impact assessment, months later we are yet to receive any meaningful response.”Shirley Linton, Head of Enterprise and Place for North Lanarkshire Council, said:
“The council recognises the impact of the proposed closure and has been working hard in recent months to discuss the situation with the current employer – in this case HMRC – to ensure appropriate support for employees is put in place. This means we can match employees with suitable alternative employment and provide advice to them if that is required.The question is, why is the council so afraid of HMRC?
In addition, we will work with the marketing agents for the HMRC site to support opportunities for the site and any support for the wider town which is required.
The council does not believe an economic assessment would be of benefit at this time.”
Tax does have to be taxing.
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Could it be they are scared of HMRC's relentless inhumane bullying ???
ReplyDeleteImpact Assessment and HMRC in the same article never mind sentance?!
ReplyDeleteA measure of lawbreaking by HMRC mis-management would do well to consider what has not been done in addition to what has been done when it comes to adherence to said law, never mind best practice, ethics, morals etc.
What is lawbreaking when it comes to HMRC? They are seemingly above the law. Many years ago, back in 2008 in fact, the IPCC archive shows that a member of staff was prosecuted under the CRCA 2005. Quite right too.
ReplyDeleteWhat is more difficult to comprehend is why when an SO manager committed a confidentiality offence under CRCA 2005 and DPA 1998 in more reason years, did the HR people and Senior Management ensure the offending manager was not independently investigated? Why was the case not referred to the internal anti-corruption investigators? Why was the case not referred to the CPS? Why was the criminal who eventually admitted their behaviour, not prosecuted?
If HMRC believe it is in their gift to decide who the law of the land applies to, and who it above it, depending on the individual or any wider cynical agenda, then only a full and thorough investigation into the governance of the place will suffice.
In other words - what did HMRC have to hide when protecting the law breaking manager from facing the full consequences of their deliberate actions?
DeleteWhat's required is for an investigative journalist to get to the bottom of what's going on in HMRC.
ReplyDeleteThe general timid attitude to this bunch of law-breaking incompetent cowards would suggest the main broadcasters will not initiate this though. HMRC have been getting away with it for far too long. It would take an independent documentary maker wanting to make a name for themselves and willing to take the risk of making the documentary first and then selling the finished item to one of the broadcasters.
Do not waste your time and effort. If hmrc wants to close an office it will close no matter what unless the PM herself orders it not to. They have their plan and nothing will change it never has never will.Sorry.
ReplyDeleteAgreed.Do not waste your time.HMRC act as though they are above the law because they are above the law.Let them carry on.Only when people become HMRC's victim do they wake up.
ReplyDeleteFrom an ACAS site:- http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3751
ReplyDeletedated 2012 and still relevant?
Defining an employer's duty of care
We often talk of an employer's 'duty of care' to their employees. But just what does this duty consist of?
Employers have a duty of care to their employees, which means that they should take all steps which are reasonably possible to ensure their health, safety and wellbeing. Demonstrating concern for the physical and mental health of your workers shouldn't just be seen as a legal duty - there's a clear business case, too. It can be a key factor in building trust and reinforcing your commitment to your employees, and can help improve staff retention, boost productivity and pave the way for greater employee engagement.
Legally, employers must abide by relevant health & safety and employment law, as well as the common law duty of care. They also have a moral and ethical duty not to cause, or fail to prevent, physical or psychological injury, and must fulfil their responsibilities with regard to personal injury and negligence claims.
I put it to you M'Lud that HMRC "management" are guilty on all counts!
Dear BBC and Channel 4,
ReplyDeleteYour fine investigative journalism on Panorama and Dispatches has exposed to the wider public, over several decades, many corruption scandals that the powerful would rather the majority are ignorant to. There is a very corrupt tax authority, subject to a number of credible allegations from staff, former staff and taxpayer alike, which might be of great interest to you...