THE high cost of a proposed transfer of up to 2500 Department of the
Environment civil servants to Docklands in London has been suppressed,
Labour claimed yesterday.
The Shadow Environment Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, said that Ministers
had now realised this move was no longer a ''bargain'' for the taxpayer.
The Environment Department declined to comment, and said the issue was
''commercially sensitive''.
Mr Straw said he had written to the Environment Secretary, Mr Michael
Howard, calling for full disclosure of his proposals.
''I now understand that a personal minute sent recently by Mr Howard
to the Prime Minister poses grave doubts on the earlier claim that the
move would be a bargain for the taxpayer.I am asking him to confirm that
the latest figures show the cost to taxpayers would be between #130m and
#200m.''
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