HUNDREDS of civil servants’ jobs are at risk of the axe in the York area because of Government cuts and reviews, unions fear.

The PCS union, which represents many civil servants, said it believes proposed reductions in Government budgets of between 25 and 40 per cent could lead to almost as high a cut in employment levels nationally.

About 2,000 civil servants are thought to work at several locations across the York area, including Kings Pool in Peasholme Green, Imphal Barracks in Fulford Road and the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) laboratories at Sand Hutton. Lesley Young, branch secretary at Kings Pool, where up to 700 Defra and other staff are based, said she believed scores of workers’ jobs could be at risk and staff were very concerned about their future.

She said while some job reductions could be absorbed by natural wastage rather than redundancy, this would be impossible if the Government forced through cuts at a fast rate.

A spokesman for Prospect, which represents many staff at FERA, a Defra agency, said: “A cloud is hanging over all civil servants but it is not yet known where the job losses will come.”

Ian Craven, branch secretary at Imphal Barracks, said staff were awaiting the outcome of a major defence review which could have huge implications on jobs.

For example, the Defence Vetting Agency, which employed more than 200 people on the site, could be hit by cutbacks across the Ministry of Defence and also in other departments and organisations for which it did security vetting work.

He said: “For example, if it is decided not to go ahead with a new aircraft carrier for the Royal Navy, that could be the equivalent of 2,500 sailors who do not need security vetting by agency staff.”

York Central MP Hugh Bayley said he had major concerns for York jobs if the Government went through with “savage” budget reductions, which was why he was pressing for other civil service work to be relocated from London to York, where potentially empty desks could be filled.

A DEFRA spokesman said today the department and its agencies would undoubtedly have to get smaller over the next few years.

But while there would be significant reductions in spending, the impact on staff numbers would not be clear until after the department knew how much money it was being allocated in the autumn. He said any reduction of staff numbers was likely to happen first through staff turnover and voluntary routes – although no decisions had yet been taken about whether to hold any voluntary departure schemes or the timings of these.

An MoD spokesman said: “The future configuration of our Armed Forces and the MoD will be based on the findings of the strategic defence and security review which is under way.

“Until the review concludes, it would be inappropriate to speculate on the possible outcomes.”