§ Mr. MacGregorasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the anticipated annual rental for the lease of the proposed new office block for the job-centre in Norwich; and what is the duration of the lease which the Employment Services Agency is seeking to take up.
§ Mr. GoldingI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that information regarding the annual rental and duration of the lease of the proposed new office block is not yet available. The intention is to provide this jobcentre by lessor development, and, although tenders have been invited, no developer has yet been appointed.
§ Mr. MacGregorasked the Secretary of State for Employment who will own the freehold of the building proposed for the new jobcentre in Norwich to be leased by the Employment Service Agency.
§ Mr. GoldingI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that should the Employment Service Agency occupy the proposed building the freehold would be owned by the Norwich City Council.
§ Mr. MacGregorasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobcentres have now been opened; what is now the target for the completed programme; and what analysis has been undertaken of the usage and cost-effectiveness of existing jobcentres particularly in relation to their siting.
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§ Mr. GoldingA total of 264 jobcentres has been opened to date and the target is for 959 to be opened by the end of the programme in 1981–82. In following up a full-scale exercise into the cost effectiveness of jobcentres, a pilot study has already been carried out into the comparative running costs of 50 jobcentres and a similar number of employment offices. Fuller research and evaluation, including siting, is to be undertaken in the near future.