YORK MP Hugh Bayley has renewed pressure on Ministers to shift hundreds of government jobs to the city.

He urged Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett to transfer the civil servants as part of the Lyons Review. A Treasury-commissioned report by Sir Michael Lyons, published in February, recommended moving 20,000 officials from London to the regions.

Mr Bayley challenged the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to act, during Environment Questions in the Commons.

He said: "I congratulate DEFRA on moving the Pesticides Safety Directorate headquarters, the Meat Hygiene Service headquarters and many other staff to their brand-new, purpose-built headquarters accommodation at Kings Pool in York.

"I also congratulate the Environment Secretary on moving the Central Science Laboratory to Sand Hutton, just outside York.

"May I remind her that North Yorkshire is the largest rural county in England, and urge her to move further DEFRA jobs there without delay."

Mr Bayley spoke out after Sir Michael, director of the Institute of Local Government Studies, said the Government could save £2 billion over 15 years by moving civil servants from the south-east.

MPs from across the country are lobbying ministers in an effort to win a share of the jobs.

But Mrs Beckett was unable to offer Mr Bayley any guarantees, admitting: "The longer the question goes on, the more confident I am that whatever decision is ultimately made, it will be extremely unpopular with large numbers of MPs."

After Environment Questions, Mr Bayley told the Evening Press: "It does not make sense for DEFRA to have large numbers of its scientists and workforce in different locations.

"If jobs are being moved outside London, then they should be concentrated on a single campus to cut down travelling times and costs.

"York is in the middle of the British Isles and it has excellent transport links.

"I am trying to keep the city firmly in the mind of the Secretary of State."

In May, Mr Bayley disclosed that Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael had written to him saying 250 posts in DEFRA may move to the department's offices in York.

Mr Michael's letter stated: "The options and business merits are currently being evaluated.

"You will be pleased to hear that york-england.com (the city's inward investment organisation) have been extremely helpful in providing us with information and data about York to help with our decision-making."

Mr Bayley is also set to arrange a meeting between Department of Work and Pensions officials and the city's inward investment bosses in an effort to win more jobs for York.

Updated: 11:17 Tuesday, June 29, 2004