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Jobcentre Plus

Answer

[holding answer 20 July 2009]: 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 right hon. Member with the information requested.Letter from Mel Groves:"The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your question, pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2009, Official Report, column 65W, on Jobcentre Plus, how much her Department has spent on converting or extending existing Jobcentre Plus offices where necessary, and what the total expected cost is of making all necessary conversions and expansions to Jobcentre Plus to cope with capacity pressures. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.""Jobcentre Plus are continuously reviewing existing service delivery arrangements in order to meet the challenge of the current economic climate and the planned welfare reform changes for the next two to three years. The latest reviews have taken account of the most up to date information on the expected increases in business and customer volumes.""In the light of the unprecedented customer demand we have secured the required funding to convert or extend our existing buildings where necessary. In addition, we aim to make our services accessible to customers by providing a range of support through outreach facilities, often delivering advisory and other support on partners' premises. We are supplementing these measures by operating extended opening hours in some locations where the need for this is identified locally. This includes some offices opening to the public on Saturday. We will therefore only acquire new space where all other measures are insufficient.""As at 30 June 2009, estates work had been undertaken and completed on 18 of our buildings at a cost of £1m, increasing our capacity to deliver additional customer service to the public. Estates work is planned on a further 151 buildings. This work is currently at an early stage and therefore the costs are not fully known."

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

496 c1294W; 287987

Session

2008-09

Related items

Deposited Paper DEP2009-2190
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Deposited papers
House of Commons

Jobcentre Plus
Monday, 13 July 2009
Written questions
House of Commons

Subjects

Buildings Jobcentres Jobcentre Plus

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk