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Written question asked by Bob Spink (Independent (affiliation)) on Thursday, 11 June 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 15 June 2009. It was answered by Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour) on Tuesday, 23 June 2009 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Jobcentre Plus: Essex

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) benefit delivery centres and (b) customer-facing jobcentres operated by Jobcentre Plus there were in (a) Essex and (b) Castle Point in each of the last 24 months.
Answer

The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.Letter from Ruth Owen:"The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many Benefit Delivery Centres and customer-facing Jobcentres operated by Jobcentre Plus there were in Essex and Castle Point in each of the last 24 months. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to Mel Groves as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. As Mel Groves is currently on annual leave, I am replying in his absence.""There is currently one Benefit Delivery Centre in Essex, situated in Basildon. This situation has been unchanged for the last 24 months. There are currently 14 Jobcentres across Essex, of which one, Canvey Jobcentre, is situated in your constituency. Within the last 24 months we have closed two Jobcentres in Essex.""Customers are now using our Jobcentres differently. More of our face-to-face customer contact is on an appointment basis and information on job vacancies is readily available by telephone and the Internet. This enables staff in our offices to focus on those customers in greatest need of support to return to work. As part of this change in the way we work we decided that Stansted Airport Jobcentre should close on 1 July 2007 and Tilbury Jobcentre on 31 March 2008.""Stansted Jobcentre had always focussed on providing our customers with access to vacancies with employers at the airport and we never offered an advisory or benefit service from there. For several years we have provided our advisory and benefit services for customers in Tilbury through Grays Jobcentre. In short, the major purpose of both of these Jobcentres was overtaken by the change in the way we work."

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
494 c815-6W; 280223
Session
2008-09
Subjects
Jobcentres Jobcentre Plus Essex
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk