Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will take steps to monitor trends in the level of sanction decisions at Springburn Jobcentre for 12 months after the divestment of Maryhill and Possilpark Jobcentre.

As part of our preparations for divestment of jobcentres, we recognise that some claimants will be taking an unfamiliar journey to a new location. Therefore, arrangements are in place for work coaches to support claimants over a transitional period until they become accustomed to new travel arrangements.

Within our normal business activities, sanction levels are already monitored to identify trends. Imposing a sanction is not something we do lightly. In the small minority of cases when a sanction is used, claimants are given every opportunity to explain why they failed to meet their agreed conditionality requirements, before a decision is made.