Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect on the local economy of towns such as Merthyr Tydfil as a result of the proposed relocation of his Department's offices.

As a large employer, DWP understands the potential impact that a closure or relocation of an office may have. This is why we carefully considered the wider impacts on local communities, like Merthyr Tydfil, as part of the review of our estate.

It is important to remember that the economic impact of employment is dispersed beyond the specific location of a workplace and staff currently based at Merthyr Tidfil already live in the broader area around the site. While we expect the majority of these staff to be relocated to a new place of work, it is unlikely that a significant proportion of them will also move their place of residence.