§ Mr. WarrenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has decided the final locations of the new administration centres for the Child Support Agency; when these new offices will be operational; and how they will be staffed.
§ Mr. JackNegotiations on the location of the new administration centres have been concluded successfully and I can now confirm that they will be sited in Hastings, the black country (Dudley), Belfast, Falkirk, Birkenhead and Plymouth, each one of which will create 500 new administrative jobs. The centres in Hastings, the black country and Belfast will come into operation from 1 April 1993 followed by Falkirk, Birkenhead and Plymouth by autumn 1993. Local recruitment for the majority of the jobs will start to build up from about six months before the operational dates.
The selection of Hastings has enabled us to offer opportunities to a substantial number of Property Services Agency staff who would otherwise be facing redundancy. It is our hope that we can co-ordinate the occupation of the Hastings centre with the rundown in staffing of PSA to ensure a major civil service presence in the area.