---

Dept for Work and Pensions

Answer

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people are employed in the East of Scotland Operational Intelligence Unit; [124948] (2) how many jobs will be lost as a result of the closure of the East of Scotland Operational Intelligence Unit; [124949] (3) how many people are employed in the Glasgow Operational Intelligence Unit; [124950] (4) whom he consulted prior to the announcement of the closure of the East of Scotland Operational Intelligence Unit. [124951] Mr. Pond: There are currently 21 officers employed in the East of Scotland Operational Intelligence Unit and 25 officers in the Glasgow Operational Intelligence Unit. By the end of 2003-04 it is planned to transfer the work of the Edinburgh unit to the Glasgow site in order to improve co-ordination of the delivery of Operational Intelligence Unit services across Scotland. The centralisation of the Operational Intelligence Unit in Glasgow will result in no job losses. The staff currently employed in Edinburgh will remain at this location and be allocated other counter fraud work and the Glasgow Operational Intelligence Unit will eventually employ a total of 49 staff. The decision to transfer the counter fraud work from Edinburgh to Glasgow did not involve the closure of any Jobcentre Plus office or result in any job losses. Therefore it was felt that this was an internal management matter and so, apart from consultation with local union officials, consultation outside Jobcentre Plus was not appropriate.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

409 c80W;409 c79-80W; 124948;124949;124950;124951

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Fraud Glasgow Edinburgh Location Staff Scotland Social security benefits

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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