Department for Work and Pensions: Wales

(asked on 25th January 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of postponing the scheduled relocation of DWP offices in Newport, Cwmbran, Caerphilly, the Rhondda, Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff to Treforest during the covid-19 outbreak; and what discussions officials in her Department have had with trade union representatives on those relocations.


Answered by
Mims Davies Portrait
Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 28th January 2021

The movement of non-customer facing services to the new, purpose built, office at Treforest is part of the Department’s ambition to move to larger, modern, more efficient multi-product-line service centres. The Department originally notified all those impacted in 2017. The Department carefully considered the relative merits of the recent announcement, which confirmed plans for migration of the first two sites Gabalfa and Merthyr, who are due to move between July and October. The Department must exit the Gabalfa site this year in order to return it to the landlord, and it was decided to proceed as this will reduce the uncertainty for people and ensure the maximum amount of time for discussions to take place with individuals to understand the impact of the move on them, including seeking solutions where a move to the new office is not possible based on their personal circumstances. The situation with regard to Covid is being kept under review and the safety of colleagues remains paramount, with many continuing to work from home. There is extensive and ongoing consultation with the trade union.

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