Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the profile is of the civil servants affected by the closure of the Department for Work and Pensions office in Seaham by (a) age, (b) race, (c) gender and (d) disability.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The following depicts the profile of colleagues based at Seaham Lighthouse View
Age – 3.4% aged 16-24, 14% aged 25-34, 19.4% aged 35-44, 28.2% aged 45-54, 31.6% aged 55-64, 3.4% aged 65+.
Race – 1.1% of colleagues are of an ethnic minority
Gender – 26.5% male, 73.5% female
Disability – 14.2% of colleagues have declared a disability
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether additional travel support will be provided to civil servants at the Department for Work and Pensions office in Seaham who have been identified for consolidation.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Should the move mean additional travel costs, colleagues may qualify for an Excess Fares payment to cover those costs. These costs will be paid for up to three years.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish her Department’s (a) equality impact assessment and (b) socio-economic impact assessment of the closure of the Department for Work and Pensions office in Seaham.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
An overarching Equality Assessment has been completed which considers the impact on colleagues. This has been made available in the House Library. Individual site Assessments have also been prepared. The planning of an office closure includes consideration of factors including the ‘Index of Multiple Deprivation’ for each location, which considers many factors, including:
· Income Deprivation
· Employment Deprivation
· Education, Skills and Training Deprivation
· Health Deprivation and Disability
· Crime
· Barriers to Housing and Services
· Living Environment Deprivation
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what date her Department expects the Department for Work and Pensions office in Seaham to close.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
On current plans, the Department expects to exit Seaham by September 2023.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect on hybrid working among affected civil servants of the consolidation of the Department for Work and Pensions office in Seaham.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The adoption of hybrid working practices has been carefully and fully considered. The introduction of hybrid working arrangements by the Department for back of house functions means that staff will only need to work on average 40% of their working week in the new location.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether compulsory redundancies will result from the closure of the Department for Work and Pensions office in Seaham.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
As of March 2022, 345 colleagues located in Seaham Lighthouse View are being asked to relocate, with their role, to Sunderland Wearview House. Each colleague will have a discussion with their line manager to assess the impact of the move on them and determine if they are able to relocate. The Department’s priority will be retain, retrain and redeploy colleagues either within DWP, or within other Government Departments in the area. As a responsible employer, we will make provision for redundancies if it is necessary, however this will be a very last resort after all efforts to redeploy have been exhausted.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobs will be affected by the closure of the Department for Work and Pensions office in Seaham.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
As of March 2022, 345 colleagues located in Seaham Lighthouse View are being asked to relocate, with their role, to Sunderland Wearview House. Each colleague will have a discussion with their line manager to assess the impact of the move on them and determine if they are able to relocate. The Department’s priority will be retain, retrain and redeploy colleagues either within DWP, or within other Government Departments in the area. As a responsible employer, we will make provision for redundancies if it is necessary, however this will be a very last resort after all efforts to redeploy have been exhausted.