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The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) echoed concerns over staff morale and arbitrary ?efficiency? targets highlighted in today's report, Evaluating the Efficiency Programme, by the House of Commons Treasury select committee.

The committee shared the union’s concerns over low staff morale in Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which the union warned would get worse as the department ploughed on with plans to cut 25,000 jobs and close 200 offices by 2011.

The union went on to warn that services in HMRC were suffering as a result and highlighted concerns in the report over deteriorating services by the Charted Institute of Taxation, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group.

The select committee also expressed concern over the measurement of efficiency and service quality, with the union also supporting the committee’s view about the arbitrary nature of the extra £5 billion added to the value for money target in the 2008 pre-budget report.

Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "We share many of the report’s concerns over low staff morale, the arbitrary nature of efficiency targets and the impact on service delivery.

Our members in HMRC and elsewhere in civil and public services have seen service levels suffer as jobs are cuts and offices closed

 

"Our members in HMRC and elsewhere in civil and public services have seen service levels suffer as jobs are cuts and offices closed.

"As tax revenues plummet, the government should be hiring rather than firing staff to chase the £25.8 billion worth of uncollected tax and £25 billion lost through tax evasion."