Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of his Department's staff are expected to be relocated as a result of proposed jobcentre closures in Glasgow.

After 20 years, the PFI contract covering the majority of the department’s buildings expires on 31 March 2018. This gives the department a once in a generation opportunity to review what offices it needs.

The department has around 900 offices. It needs to make better use of the space it occupies and reduce the amount of empty space that it has, reducing overall estate costs.

The department is committed to retaining an accessible jobcentre network and continuing to serve customers in all areas of the country. Increasingly, our customers access many of our services on-line. We tailor our service so that face-to-face contact can be focused on those who need extra support from us.

This exercise is not about reducing headcount, it is about the buildings the department works in.

Approximately 260 DWP members of staff are expected to be relocated as a result of proposed jobcentre closures in Glasgow.