A regional Government agency could be scrapped with the loss of 200 jobs in the West Midlands, it emerged today.

The Government Office for the West Midlands, which helps to represent the region and influence central government proposals, is facing an uncertain future under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition which has revealed it is considering whether to ditch the body.

The organisation, which brings regional influence to Government programmes, and claims to be the “ears, eyes and a local voice” for Whitehall in the area, spends £8.8 million a year of taxpayers’ money – 97 per cent of which goes towards staff salaries.

It was set up in 1994 along with eight other Government Offices.

The network now has a workforce of 1,700 and received funding totalling £118 million in 2010/11, overseeing the expenditure of £241 million for Whitehall departments in 2009/10.

However, a programme for government published by the new Government promises to “abolish the Government Office for London and consider the case for abolishing the remaining Government Offices, which .

A Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “Number 10 has published the Government’s final coalition agreement which outlines with more clarity the direction of travel in a number of areas including abolishing the Government Office for London and consider the case for abolishing the remaining Government Offices.

“Ministers are considering the issues around closure of Government Office for London and the arrangements and timescale for the assessment of the Network,” he added.

Shadow business secretary and Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden said: “Yet again we have another review. Just a few months ago, the then opposition parties were attacking the Labour Government for holding reviews.

“But the coalition agreement is littered with areas for review.”