Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to carry out an impact assessment of the effect on (a) staff and (b) customers of the proposed move of staff from Merthyr Tydfil to a new hub north of Cardiff.

We plan to move the staff based in Merthyr Tydfil Ty Bethesda into Treforest between 2021 and 2023.

Before any moves take place, staff will have the opportunity for a formal one-to-one discussion with their line managers about how the move will impact them. This helps to assess any equality impacts of the change of location.

We anticipate that these formal discussions will take place approximately nine months in advance of any moves.

Merthyr Tydfil Ty Bethesda is a processing site with no direct face-to-face customer interaction and an impact assessment on the effect on customers as a result of the move is not required.