SHIPLEY MP Philip Davies will meet a Government minister to discuss why his town’s job centre should not be merged with Bradford.

The relocation affecting the Wainman Street office is still a proposal, with a final decision expected to be made in six months’ time following a public consultation. The Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) says the move would be in the interests of saving public money.

The plan is to move the Shipley office to either Bradford’s Eastbrook Court Jobcentre in Vicar Lane or to its office in Westfield House in Manningham Lane.

Speaking in Parliament, Mr Davies told how he visited his town’s office and urged DWP Minister Damian Hinds to meet with him to discuss the issue.

He said: “I went to visit so I could hear first-hand the concerns the staff have about the closure and the concerns they have for the clients there.

“If the minister would meet with me then we can go through their lists of concerns and hopefully he can find a way to address them.”

Mr Hinds agreed to the meeting and Mr Davies said the people he met at the centre made “valid concerns”.

The proposed move is part of a countrywide package of proposals to merge smaller job centres with larger ones and move others into local government premises, saving around £180m a year for the next ten years.

Tonight, a DWP spokesman said: “With eight out of ten Jobseeker’s Allowance claims now made online and 20 per cent of our office space underused we are streamlining our estate, which will save taxpayers £1.8 billion.

“This year we are hiring 2,500 more work coaches to help those who need it most.”