Press release

Northern Ireland Office moves to UKG Hub in Heart of Belfast

皇冠体育app NIO is relocating from Stormont to a new home in the heart of Belfast as part of its mission to make Northern Ireland a better place to live, work & invest.

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

皇冠体育app Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is relocating from Stormont to a new home in the heart of Belfast city centre as part of its mission to make Northern Ireland a better place to live, work and invest.

皇冠体育app plan will expand the UK Government Hub in Belfast city centre, highlighting the department鈥檚 desire to become a more accessible, open and modern Civil Service department as it marks the 50th anniversary of the Northern Ireland Office鈥檚 formation.

皇冠体育app move comes as the UK Government鈥檚 Places for Growth programme continues to restructure the civil service by putting local people at the heart of decision making and ensuring civil servants are rooted in the communities they serve. Erskine House is another example of the programme鈥檚 success which will see 22,000 Civil Service roles moved out of London by 2030.

皇冠体育app NIO will join government colleagues in Erskine House, bringing together UK Government departments including HMRC and the Competitions and Marketing Authority, with the Department of International Trade and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities also expected to base staff in the central UKG hub later in the year. 皇冠体育app new location will allow departments to collaborate, to work in new ways, deliver better services for the people of Northern Ireland, and provide a modern and safe working environment for their staff.

From its new location, the NIO will be able to engage more effectively with a broad range of stakeholders to collectively build better outcomes for all citizens in Northern Ireland. 皇冠体育app move will also bring increased footfall to the centre of Belfast, boosting the local economy as Northern Ireland continues to recover from the pandemic.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis said:

鈥淚 am delighted that the department will be moving to this fantastic new building in the heart of Belfast city centre.

鈥淥ur new workspace will provide a modern working environment that will act as a foundation for the NIO鈥檚 work to support the Government鈥檚 levelling up agenda and make Northern Ireland a better place to live, work and invest.鈥�

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay said:

鈥溁使谔逵齛ppre is fantastic work being done in Northern Ireland to ensure that the civil service is deeply rooted in the communities it serves.

鈥淭his move brings long-term job opportunities for people around Belfast and will boost town and city centre businesses through the increased footfall. It鈥檚 great to see levelling up in action.

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

鈥淚鈥檓 delighted to welcome Northern Ireland Office colleagues to Erskine House. 皇冠体育appy will join staff at HMRC and the Competitions and Markets Authority at our Belfast UK Government Hub, building a professional and vibrant civil service community to deliver great services to our customers.鈥�

Updates to this page

Published 7 February 2022