In a debate in Parliament today, secured by my Labour colleague Kevin Barron MP, I repeated my call to the Government to publish the business case for the decision to close the Sheffield Business Department office.

The Department’s most senior civil servant had already admitted he could not produce a single document outlining the case for closure, but I was shocked that yet again today the Minister was unable to explain how they came to this decision.

This is the Business Department. Before businesses take decisions, they carry out a cost benefit analysis. Why should Government decisions about spending public money be any different?

The truth is, this decision will not save money. But it will harm decision-making in this country, which is already too London-centric. We will keep pushing for it to be reversed.