Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what date his Department (a) announced proposals to close Whitley Bay Jobcentre Plus and (b) informed the current landlords of that property of that decision.

The Department announced its proposals for Whitley Bay Jobcentre on 26 January 2017. The full list of sites we have announced has been published and is available from the Gov.uk website at this address: http://qna.files.parliament.uk/ws-attachments/678953/original/DWP%20Estates%20Proposals.pdf.

Since 1998 the Department occupies the majority of its accommodation under a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) known as the PRIME contract. Under the terms of this 20-year PFI, the Department contracts to occupy fully serviced accommodation from its private sector partner, Telereal Trillium.

The lease for the building in question is included within the provisions of this PFI arrangement and is therefore not held directly by DWP. Telereal Trillium was informed of the proposals to close Whitley Bay Jobcentre on 26 January 2017.