§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Department's answer of 24 January 2002,Official Report, column 632W, on the Insolvency Service, what progress the Insolvency Service has made in centralising its administrative functions in areas of (a) lower growth and (b) high unemployment. [42224]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Insolvency Service will continue to seek to make best use of its existing estate and, wherever possible, to reduce its costs. The movement of work from areas and offices where there are pressures on accommodation or difficulties with recruitment or retention of staff to other offices is carried out where appropriate and the service has piloted a successful scheme to enable flexible, remote working by staff in its London office. The redevelopment of the service's IT systems over the next few years will increase the capability and capacity for such remote working and enable further savings in accommodation costs to be made.