Official opening of HMRC Edinburgh Regional Centre

HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Edinburgh Regional Centre and UK Government hub was formally opened this week by Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack MP.

Mr Jack unveiled a plaque at the office, named Queen Elizabeth House, alongside HMRC’s Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary, Jim Harra. Among those also attending the event were Scotland Office Director, Laurence Rockey, and the Advocate General for Scotland, Lord Stewart of Dirleton, QC.

The building at 1 Sibbald Walk is home to around 2,200 full-time equivalent (FTE) HMRC staff and around 640 civil servants from 24 other UK Government departments and agencies. Departments sharing the building with HMRC include The Scotland Office which moved from Melville Street, the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland and the Department for International Trade.

The seven-storey UK Government Hub initially opened its doors to some civil servants during the pandemic in September 2020 and on its second anniversary, the building has now formally been declared open.

Staff working from the site have already made a considerable contribution to the country by working on the on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) which the government says helped protect more than 910,000 jobs in Scotland, including 87,500 jobs in Edinburgh.

Alister Jack MP, the Secretary of State for Scotland, said: “It’s a privilege to officially open Queen Elizabeth House, the UK Government’s state-of-the-art hub in the heart of Edinburgh.

“This flagship building will provide a base for more than a dozen UK Government departments which all have a key role in Scotland.

“It is a fantastic facility and a huge asset as we engage with stakeholders, invest in communities and serve the people of Scotland.”

Jim Harra, HMRC’s Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary, said:

“It has been fantastic to finally celebrate the official opening of our Edinburgh Regional Centre and UK Government hub today.

“This modern development promotes an inclusive working environment and is an important part of HMRC’s transformation into a digitally-advanced tax authority.

“Queen Elizabeth House provides HMRC a greater opportunity to work closely with other UK Government departments to deliver our priorities such as supporting families through the cost-of-living crisis.”

HMRC also has a regional centre in Glasgow and a specialist site at Gartcosh. Earlier this year, the department announced they would retain a long-term presence in East Kilbride, which will become Phase 2 of the Glasgow Regional Centre.

All photos of the building courtesy of Hufton + Crow.