THE Government minister who oversaw the reduction in jobs and functions at Newport's Passport Office is being "hypocritical and misleading" in suggesting that staff set to lose their jobs could find other public sector  work in South Wales, says an AM.

Jocelyn Davies Plaid Cymru's South Wales East AM, also accused UK immigration minister Damian Green of conjuring up "phantom public sector jobs."

Mr Green, in a letter to Ms Davies, stated that the Government will continue to work with Passport Office "staff, trade unions and other government departments in Wales to help find alternative employment" for the 120 staff set to lose their jobs.

Some 150 posts are being axed overall at the Passport Office, although 30 people have taken voluntary redundancy.

The job losses were announced after a strong campaign by local politicians, the Argus and workers to keep the office in the city - including a 27,000-name petition.

Ms Davies said: "It is entirely hypocritical of Damian Green to claim that the 120 being forced out of work by his government could find alternative employment in another government department, because Damian Green, like everyone else in Britain, knows the very same government is slashing jobs and services across the board.

"Mr Green's government is slashing 20 per cent from the Gwent Police budget, there are threats hanging over tax offices in South Wales, and thousands of additional jobs are expected to go in the coming years.

"Mr Green is either being misleading, or he is somehow aware of phantom public sector jobs that no one else has heard of."

Ms Davies also reiterated her disappointment at what she claims is the Welsh Government's ineffectiveness in defending workers and services across Wales.

In his letter, Mr Green said the aim from the outset has been to minimise job losses at the Passport Office and avoid the need for any compulsory redundancies.

He also reiterates in his letter a belief that there will be no effect on Newport city centre as a result of the changes, "because we expect the same numbers of customers to visit the office." This claim too has been challenged by politicians, trade unions and traders.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Department out of touch

THE loss of so many jobs from Newport’s Passport Office would, we would have thought, demand the most sensitive handling.

But it seems this is a message which has not got through to those in charge of the Identity and Passport Service or the Home Office.

First we had the ludicrous idea, included in an economic impact assessment by the IPS, that the redundancy payments due to staff would create a short-term boost for city trade.

Then, boxes of redundancy leaflets were left at the front of the Newport Passport Office in full view of staff arriving for work in the weeks before the end of the consultation process.

Now we have the crass suggestion from UK immigration minister Damian Green that staff who are to lose their jobs in Newport could find alternative employment in another government department in south Wales.

This illustrates a department which is out of touch with the real world. Further, Mr Green goes on to suggest in the letter to Jocelyn Davies, South Wales East AM, that the changes will have no effect on Newport city centre because the same number of customers will visit to use the reshaped passport office.

This implies that he seems to think that a city like Newport can absorb more than 100 job losses in its midst without this having any effect at all.