Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HMRC plans to maintain Customer Services Group headcount and total productive hours as Managed Service Provider capacity increases.

HMRC is currently using Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to provide additional customer service capacity, equivalent to around 500 FTE, focused on routine work. This includes support for the Online Services Helpdesk and handling simple PAYE enquiries.

HMRC are currently in an initial approximately 18 month ‘proof of value’ phase using existing Government contracts. This will allow them to test, learn and ensure quality and value for money before wider implementation.

HMRC has been clear that no HMRC colleague will be made redundant as a result of this initiative.

HMRC will continue to use a range of resourcing models, alongside the use of MSPs, to meet variable customer demand.