Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department made of the travel distance between Pyle Jobcentre and Porthcawl prior to its decision on whether a consultation should take place in regard to the closure of that jobcentre; and if he will make a statement.

We committed to a public consultation for Jobcentres over three miles and 20 minutes away from existing offices by public transport. The new site at Porthcawl is 4.9 miles and 35 minutes by public transport from Pyle Jobcentre.

Throughout our planning we calculated distances and journey times to Porthcawl using a variety of methods to ensure accuracy, including online tools and timetables, information collected on local public transport routes, and input and scrutiny from local DWP staff and management.