In a wide-ranging hearing before the Treasury Committee, senior civil servants were questioned about the work of the Treasury, from high staff turnover to job cuts and payoffs, as well as plans to increase AI-driven tools to improve productivity and reduce costs.

James Bowler (pictured), permanent secretary and the top civil servant at the Treasury, and Beth Russell, second permanent secretary, were questioned about the high level of staff turnover in the Treasury team.

Committee member John Glen MP, a former City minister in the last Conservative government, focused on the high churn rate of staff, saying he was ‘anxious’ when he looked at reports about staffing in the Treasury.

‘There’s always been a higher turnover of staff, but when you’ve got natural attrition of 380 people a year, and we’ve seen that there is a scheme to pay people up to £100,000 for voluntary exit to get rid of another 300, how can you convince me and the country that the Treasury is going to be fit for purpose?’ Glen asked.

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