WORK and Pensions posts could be shifted from London to York - which is under threat of losing existing jobs from the Government department.

Union leaders have warned up to 200 jobs could be scrapped in York and North Yorkshire under Gordon Brown's plans to axe 30,000 workers at the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) nationwide.

But, at the same time, the DWP has a commitment to shift 4,000 jobs out of the capital to the regions as part of the Government's Lyons Review.

City MP Hugh Bayley said York was ideally placed to benefit from this initiative.

He is arranging a meeting between DWP officials and the city's inward investment bosses.

Mr Bayley told the Evening Press: "The target overall is to ensure that we attract more jobs than we lose."

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, he made York's case to Work and Pensions Secretary Andrew Smith.

The Labour MP said York had coped with a number of Government departments wishing to move additional jobs into the city, including DWP, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Mr Smith said "I am happy to agree to the meeting that he suggests."

But he added: "I do, however, offer one word of caution. Our Department is scheduled to reduce total staff numbers by some 40,000 - a net 30,000 - by 2008, so it is likely that there will be staff reductions in a number of parts of the country."

Chancellor Mr Brown is slashing civil service posts to pay for extra investment in schools and other public services.

There are about 450 DWP employees in York, split between sites at Monkgate and Monks Cross, and about a further 500 in North Yorkshire.

Under the separate Lyons Review, two Government departments have indicated a willingness to shift posts from London to York.

The departments are thought to be the MoD and Defra.

Updated: 10:52 Tuesday, April 27, 2004