STAFF uncertainty, low morale and still no answers. The chief executive of the Office for National Statistics has been left in no doubt about the effects of fears that the government will close Titchfield's biggest employer.

Len Cook came face-to-face with branch managers during a round of afternoon meetings yesterday about the potential 1,100 job cuts.

The threatened staff losses cast a dark cloud over one of the original intentions of his regular six-weekly visit - to open a £750,000 refurbished neighbourhood statistics centre.

The 54-year-old New Zealander has pledged to return on Tuesday to begin meetings with all staff members about the possible relocation to Wales.

He admitted there was no financial case for moving but said that there would be benefits of having a larger centre in Newport for statistical data to be handled.

Asked if he personally would like the offices to remain in Titchfield Mr Cook said the current situation was not ideal.

"If we had to start afresh and ONS had no sites anywhere, rather then the legacy of four departments scattered in London, Newport, Southport and Titchfield, I would say it would be better to have a broader site."

"What we have said is if ministers see moving civil servants as a priority then we see it as a viable option to move statistical work onto one site which would be Newport."

Mr Cook added any move would not be practical until the ONS modernisation programme was complete in 2007.

If the government moves civil servants to Wales Mr Cook said smaller offices might well remain around the country - including a scaled down Titchfield centre.

He insisted he would seek answers from the government before July on whether it intends to relocate workers from Titchfield to Newport, Wales.

That's when Gordon Brown will announce whether he accepts the findings of the Lyons report on shifting civil servants from London and the south-east to save about £2.3m.

"There is no decision yet. What we have is a report by a person advising the chancellor on moving civil servants,"said Mr Cook.

"There is still a huge amount of work to be done."

Mr Cook, who has been in his post for the last four years, admitted the current uncertainty was bad for staff morale.

"My managers do not want to see this level of uncertainty," he added. "They want to know one way or the other what is happening.

"From their point of view that sort of uncertainty is not helpful to them at all."

Mr Cook insisted he had been made aware of the impact of any job cuts on the Western Wards after a meeting with Fareham MP Mark Hoban last week.

"My own managers have been quite clear in their views and very forthright. We have an office here full of people who take immense pride in their work," he said.

Workers are due to strike in a separate dispute over performance related pay, on April 13.