AXE OVER ILFRACOMBE JOBCENTRE
May 25, 2007 4:17 PM
'It is with concern that I have been informed by the Government that Ilfracombe's jobcentre faces closure,' says Nick Harvey.
Some 22 Jobcentres are facing closure in the South West eight of them in Devon including Ilfracombe.
'I feel it unfair that the South West has been singled out - the only other region facing closures is Cumbria. '
'A six week consultation process is now under way, but Jim Murphy, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, Department for Work and Pensions, has already informed me that,' "combined pressures on resources and relatively low numbers of customers lead us to believe that closure of this site is a reasonable way forward."
'This implies to me that the fate of Ilfracombe Jobcentre is already sealed.
'If this happens customers will have to come to Barnstaple which for some people will be a far from ideal situation. Jim Murphy claims that this would not cause any significant disruption to our customers, but I do not see how this is possible.
'While most of the jobcentres under threat are part time, any closures will be seen as a loss by local communities at a time when our rural post offices are facing closure. Over 600 Jobcentres have gone in the past three years.'
Understandably the Public and Commercial Services Union are not pleased with these developments. The PCS' view is that this first wave of consultations marks the beginning of a wider closure programme of jobcentres in rural communities.
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