Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Bellingham Excerpts

Monday 27th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Sir Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk) (Con)]

T6. I put it to my hon. Friend the Minister that, although no MP wants a DWP office closure, there may nevertheless be significant advantages if the King’s Lynn DWP office were to co-locate with the borough council, as there would be synergies, for example, on housing benefit. We could then create a public service centre of excellence for the borough council, the clinical commissioning group and the DWP.

[Damian Hinds]

I take that point on board, and we are embarking on a number of co-locations as part of the current programme. Co-location can be good both for claimants and for the taxpayer: for claimants because more of the services they need to access are in one place, and, of course, for the taxpayer by making better use of the public estate.