Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government has taken to consult Jobcentre Plus users on proposed closures.

The Department considers it a reasonable expectation that a claimant travels for 3 miles or 20 minutes by public transport. We are conducting public consultation on all proposals to close or move a Jobcentre outside of these criteria.

The public consultation for some Jobcentres in Glasgow started on 7 December 2016 and closed on 31 January 2017. Following the announcements for other Jobcentre Plus closures on 26 January 2017, further consultations started on 30 January 2017 and closed on 28 February 2017. These consultations will help establish people’s ability to access services from alternative Jobcentre locations before any final decisions are made.