Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria his Department uses to determine whether a jobcentre earmarked for closure should go out to public consultation; and if he will make a statement.

There is no statutory requirement for consultation on Jobcentre closures. We have agreed, however, that where the distance from the current location to the proposed alternative Jobcentre is over three miles or 20 minutes away by public transport, we will undertake public consultation to inform our final decisions on closure and alternative service delivery options.