Newcastle Estate (Hansard, 15 February 1995)

§ Mr. Trotter
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy that as part of the proposed redevelopment of his Department's Newcastle estate the new office will be in the Tyneside area and will not involve any loss of jobs locally.

§ Mr. Arbuthnot
The administration of the Department's Newcastle estate is the responsibility of Mr. George Bertram, the acting chief executive of the Contributions Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from George Bertram to Mr. Neville Trotter dated 14 February 1995: As Acting Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency, I have responsibility for control and administration of the Department of Social Security's Newcastle Estate. I have been asked to reply to your question to the Secretary of State for Social Security regarding the proposed development of the Estate. The Newcastle Estate Development Project seeks to provide new accommodation within a ten mile radius (approximately) of Newcastle city centre. This encompasses the whole of the Tyneside
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§ Mr. Milburn
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) of 2 February,Official Report, columns 825–26, on income distribution, if he will indicate (a) the numbers in each quintile in each year, (b) the actual income levels in each year for each quintile, 1 to 5 and (c) at what income level there was no change in income (i) before housing costs and (ii) after housing cost; and if he will provide a regional analysis of real income levels in each quintile, 1 to 5.

§ Mr. Burt
Information is provided for the United Kingdom as a whole. Information is not available on a regional basis.
In 1979 there were 5.5 million individuals in each quintile of the income distribution of families with children. For 1991–92 the equivalent figure is 5 million. 1991–92 is the two calendar years combined.
The available information is in the table.
area and also extends into Wearside, whilst skirting the boundaries of Durham and Northumberland.
Organisations who express interest will, over the coming months, develop proposals to satisfy our accommodation requirements, the evaluation of which will consider all factors including location, and most importantly, value for money for the taxpayer.
The aim of the project is to provide modern, multi-functional accommodation for the use of DSS staff currently on the Newcastle Estate. As you know, the Department continues to seek efficiency savings and possible future reductions in staffing levels may coincide with a change of location. However, the rationalisation of the accommodation will not itself involve any loss of jobs although the physical location of the jobs may change within the ten mile radius.
I hope you find this information helpful.