Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what impact assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed relocation on the quality of life for his Department's staff who will be relocated, particularly in relation to (a) the increase in the length of their working day due to travel time and (b) the effect on those with caring responsibilities.

Under the Public Sector Equality Duty the Department is required to consider the potential impact on people with protected characteristics when making policy decisions and delivering services. We have therefore carried out equality analyses wherever our plans are to close or co-locate an office or service. We used the findings to understand the potential impact of changes to our estate on people – both for the Department’s employees and people using our services.

During the consultation process with individual employees who are required to move, their future journey in the context of a working day and relevant personal circumstances, such as caring responsibilities, form part of the decision making process as to whether they will move or the Department will seek to redeploy them into an alternative role.