§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which call centre in Sheffield was recently awarded the contract previously held by Vetex in Pembroke Dock. [96268]
§ Maria EagleThe Department for Work and Pensions issued an Invitation to Negotiate to a number of companies in September 2002 for additional telephone contact services, as part of The Pension Service. This will support the introduction of Pension Credit. Ventura were successful in this exercise and the Department has signed a contract with them. Ventura will run their centre in Wath on Dearne. The other three sites will be DWP sites.
This is a newly contracted service, awarded under open competition. Its award did not result in any loss of a DWP contract by Vetex in Pembroke Dock.
The Pension Service already has more than 1,000 people working in Wales. These staff are based in local services, the National Winter Fuel Payments, The Pension Service Centres in Swansea, Wrexham, Cwmbran and Cardiff which is one of the Pension Credit telephone application centres.
On 31 March the Secretary of State announced that 250 jobs would be created in Pembroke Dock via the establishment of a DWP Jobcentre Plus contact centre.