Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timetable and budget are for replacing Jobcentre Plus with the Jobs and Careers Service; and whether any jobcentre closures or mergers are planned in Lancashire.

The new Jobs and Careers Service will be a modern, integrated, digitally enabled employment service that has brought together Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service in England and works hand in hand with employers and local partners. Our ambition is to deliver as much of the reforms as possible by the end of this Parliament. The precise timing and sequence of implementation will be informed by evidence gathered through our continued test-and-learn approach to developing the service. Budget proposals for the new Jobs and Careers Service are being developed as part of the business case and remain subject to approval. We are therefore not currently able to provide an approved budget figure but are committed to ensuring that the new service delivers value for money for taxpayers.

Our customer-facing presence continues to develop across England, Scotland and Wales, better enabling communities to access Jobcentre services with a future service delivery model that includes a combination of standalone Jobcentre sites, co-location, mobile services and digital delivery.