25/02/10 - Jackson wins Commons debate on Land Registry

Local MP Stewart Jackson has won a high profile Westminster Hall Adjournment Debate entitled "Closure of the Land Registry Office in Peterborough".

The debate will take place on Wednesday 3rd March, 4.30pm to 5pm.

The local MP has, over the last few months, consistently lobbied the Government to reverse a decision to axe 302 jobs at the Land Registry in the city.

This newly-won debate is simply another strand of a concerted campaign by the MP. At the House of Commons Christmas recess debate, Stewart voiced his concerns over proposals to close the Peterborough branch of the Land Registry in September 2011.

During the debate in December, he raised a number of issues to the deputy leader of the House of Commons, Barbara Keeley, including the possibility of finding alternatives to closing the Peterborough branch.

He also believes there is enough space to bring additional civil service jobs to Peterborough and raised concerns that, with the lease not up for expiry until 2013, the Land Registry would be paying for empty space for two years.

Following the debate in December Mr Jackson has also met representatives of the Public and Commercial Services Union (in mid-January) and had conversations with Minister for the East of England, Barbara Follett, on the matter.

Stewart commented:

"We are going to lose 302 people who are long-serving, dedicated staff with professional skills, when, with a bit of effort we could keep them.

"There is also no point in nationally sacking 1,500 people and employing 594 brand new members of staff who are untrained and inexperienced.

"This decision is short sighted and it doesn't stand up to scrutiny. It is damaging to our local economy and if we look at the business case, it is flawed and needs to be radically altered.

"This would have a very significant impact on the local economy. We have already seen large scale job losses in Peterborough.

“I am looking forward to holding the Government to account on this issue on Wednesday evening”.