I was absolutely delighted to welcome the Home Secretary to my constituency today for the official opening of the new Home Office building in Smithfield. It was great to explore the impressive new offices and talk with the staff who are settling into their new roles. I was particularly pleased to learn that the new jobs are not only attracting people who currently live here, but also some who had left the area for more senior roles and are now coming back, which is exactly what the Home Office promised when they initially announced the location. It creates new opportunities for senior roles and career progression which is a key aspect of our Levelling Up ambitions.
The Home Secretary's visit shows how important this building is to the Home Office. She was very impressed with what is on offer in terms of the facilities. With already well over 200 staff hired out of the planned 500 jobs that are coming, the Home Office is delivering on its commitment to Stoke-on-Trent.
Stoke-on-Trent is a great location for quality civil service jobs and I am confident that the Home Office investment in our city will trigger interest from other government agencies. This major investment by the Home Office, which the three Stoke Members of Parliament secured after extensive lobbying, means our city is definitely on the map for regional relocations.
