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Nearly 100 intelligence officers have been compelled out of their common places of work on Whitehall after dropping a bitter turf conflict when crumbling concrete was discovered within the constructing’s roof.
The porous and probably harmful materials was recognized within the Cupboard Workplace headquarters final autumn, triggering the evacuation of some civil servants engaged on the fourth ground of 70 Whitehall to ensure that development works to happen.
A disaster round strengthened autoclaved aerated concrete — or Raac — erupted final summer season, forcing greater than 100 faculty websites prone to collapse to be closed simply days earlier than the beginning of the educational yr.
The issue prompted a hunt throughout authorities departments to determine different private and non-private buildings that include the fabric.
Raac was discovered within the Cupboard Workplace, forcing scores of officers within the Nationwide Safety Secretariat to go away their desks and transfer to safe workplace house elsewhere within the constructing and different premises, in response to a number of folks accustomed to the scenario.
The Nationwide Safety Secretariat helps develop international and defence coverage throughout authorities and advises the Nationwide Safety Council, a discussion board for strategic discussions about safety that’s chaired by the prime minister.
The choice about who was relocated — and to the place — was the topic of terse wrangling and sparked resentment among the many officers affected, one of many folks advised the Monetary Instances.
“There was a usually passive-aggressive combat over who was going to be moved out. It created a really sad group,” the Whitehall insider stated.
The scenario had precipitated “administrative chaos” and “difficulties” for these affected, they added, significantly these compelled to maneuver furthest from the bodily locus of energy across the prime minister.
“You need to find yourself in 10 Downing Avenue and when you can’t try this, it’s obtained to be 70 Whitehall [the building next door]. It’s genuinely essential for nationwide safety sorts,” the individual stated.
They added that some officers had “squeezed and doubled up on desk house elsewhere within the constructing, whereas others have been moved proper down the road in direction of parliament, which is like being in [political] Siberia”.
One other official complained that constructing works to repair the scenario didn’t start instantly.
Nationwide Safety Secretariat officers, usually credited by colleagues as a few of the most devoted on Whitehall, usually have to be primarily based within the workplace greater than different civil servants due to the delicate nature of their work and the necessity to preserve safe IT methods.
Whereas the matter has left some workers disgruntled, it has not impinged on the operations of the secretariat or affected nationwide safety, officers insisted.
The Workplace of Authorities Property, which manages the federal government property, first despatched out correspondence to mandarins accountable for state-managed buildings in 2019 after which once more in 2022, signposting steering on Raac.
Final yr, a working group was arrange with the purpose of understanding the potential danger of Raac and detecting its presence throughout the federal government property.
The place the fabric has been recognized, departments have acted in step with suggestions from the Establishment of Structural Engineers, an expert physique.
Raac is a light-weight different to conventional strengthened concrete which was used primarily within the Nineteen Sixties and Eighties to make roof planks and partitions, however its flaws — together with vulnerability to seepage — have since been properly documented.
The fabric discovered within the roof of 70 Whitehall was the one occasion of Raac recognized throughout the federal government property within the coronary heart of Westminster, in response to officers.
They stated the constructing works have been nearing completion and insisted that workplace house elsewhere within the premises was working usually.
Alex Thomas, programme director on the Institute for Authorities think-tank, stated constructing repairs on Whitehall have been sure to impress “court docket intrigue”, however pressured the state of departmental premises within the coronary heart of Westminster was much better than different civil servants’ locations of labor.
“Probably the most troublesome and largest issues across the authorities property — its situation and upkeep — impacts courts and prisons. Within the wider public sector it’s hospitals and faculties,” he stated.
The Cupboard Workplace declined to remark.
Ellesheva Kissin is a reporter at Banking Danger and Regulation, a service from FT Specialist