Jobcentres (Hansard, 23 November 1977)

§ Mr. Banks
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his current budget for the establishment of new jobcentres.

§ Mr. Golding
I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that a sum of £8.6 million covering rents, adaptations—including professional fees —and furniture and fittings is available for new jobcentres in the current financial year.

§ Mr. Banks
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the total costs of each of the three new jobcentres in North Yorkshire.

§ Mr. Golding
I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the setting up costs for the jobcentres in question are as follows:

Adaptations (including professional fees) Furniture and fittings

£ £

Malton, 45 Wheelgate 7,056 2,800

Scarborough, Pavilion House, Westborough 75,648 10,000

York, B Piccadilly 9,566 17,800

As for the running expenses, rents are not generally disclosed for commercial reasons and figures for other current expenditure for individual jobcentres are not readily available.
The hon. Member may, however, find it useful to have the following details of 743W the operating costs of an average jobcentre which were obtained in the recent evaluation exercise.

OPERATING COSTS OF AN AVERAGE JOBCENTRE WITH 15 STAFF

Cost Element £ Per cent.

Salaries^* 56,403 67.8

Staff Expenses† 1,071 1.3

Running Expenses‡ 4,656 5.6

Premises Costs§ 19,545 23.5

Advertising and Publicity 1,521 1.8

83,196 100.0

^*Includes employers costs such as ERNIC and liability for superannuation.

† Covers travel and subsistence costs.

‡ Covers such items as postage, stationery, telephone charges.

§ Covers rent, rates, maintenance, office cleaning, utilities and depreciation on adaptations and furniture and fittings.

§ Mr. Banks
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has plans for establishing new jobcentres in North Yorkshire; and if he will give details.

§ Mr. Golding
I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it is eventually intended to replace all employment offices by jobcentres. At present there are only two firm projects in North Yorkshire, namely, Harrogate and Richmond, which it is hoped will open in February 1978.

	Adaptations (including professional fees)	Furniture and fittings
	£	£
Malton, 45 Wheelgate	7,056	2,800
Scarborough, Pavilion House, Westborough	75,648	10,000
York, B Piccadilly	9,566	17,800

OPERATING COSTS OF AN AVERAGE JOBCENTRE WITH 15 STAFF
Cost Element	£	Per cent.
Salaries^*	56,403	67.8
Staff Expenses†	1,071	1.3
Running Expenses‡	4,656	5.6
Premises Costs§	19,545	23.5
Advertising and Publicity	1,521	1.8
	83,196	100.0
^*Includes employers costs such as ERNIC and liability for superannuation.
† Covers travel and subsistence costs.
‡ Covers such items as postage, stationery, telephone charges.
§ Covers rent, rates, maintenance, office cleaning, utilities and depreciation on adaptations and furniture and fittings.