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 workload of Jobcentre Plus staff of proposals to (a) close jobcentres, (b) increase the frequency of visits by some jobseekers and (c) introduce conditionality for people in work.

The proposed closure of Jobcentres is not a staff or service reduction programme, it is about redesigning our estate in a way that delivers value for the taxpayer while continuing to deliver vital support to our claimants. In fact these proposals will not lead to a reduction to the number of front line Jobcentre staff. The number of Work Coaches in Jobcentres is set to increase and we expect to have more Work Coaches in every nation and region in March 2018 compared to today.