HR jobs go west in Civil Service shake-up

Up to 500 Civil Service HR and finance jobs in London and the South East will be relocated to Newport in south Wales it has been announced.

Recruitment for the roles in the prison service will begin this year with the first staff due to start work there early in 2006.

Secretary of state for Wales, Peter Hain, said the move was a vote of confidence in Newport's ability to attract public sector investment and further confirmation that Wales continues to be an attractive location for jobs.

The relocation of the roles is part of Gordon Brown's plans to cut billions by moving jobs away from London and the South East and cutting more than 100,000 staff from the public sector.