SOCIAL security minister Frank Field has agreed to come to the Fylde to meet civil servants whose jobs are under threat.

And he has revealed that the proposed number of job losses would not be as high as first thought.

His pledges came at a meeting with the region's three MPs - Hilton Dawson, Joan Humble and Gordon Marsden - fighting on behalf of disability benefit workers at the Norcross and Warbreck House offices in Blackpool.

They had been warned that as many as 213 jobs could be cut between April this year and March 1999, but on Thursday (Feb 26) Mr Field revealed the number was closer to 117.

Mrs Humble, whose Blackpool North and Fleetwood constituency covers Warbreck House, said: "He told us he had been reassured by his departmental staff that any reductions wouldn't be through compulsory redundancy but through natural wastage.

"Nevertheless, we explained how serious the potential job losses were for the Fylde Coast and its economy and expressed our concern that these would be positions lost to future job seekers."

Mr Dawson, who as Lancaster and Wyre MP is concerned with the Norcross site, asked if any decision could be deferred until the Government had published its Green Paper on welfare reform and Mr Field agreed to look at this, although he could give no guarantee.

He said: "The struggle goes on, but I think we have got a strong case.

"We want to have an excellent benefit system, but for that we need a highly motivated, committed group of staff."

This, he said, wouldn't happen with threats of job cuts.

Overall, Mrs Humble said the meeting had gone well, explaining: "We were pleased that Frank Field listened to us and to learn the job losses were not as great as feared.

"But the most important thing is that he is coming to see for himself.

"We already had an agreement for junior minister Keith Bradley to visit, so we will have two ministers who can advise Social Security Secretary Harriet Harman.

"I think this will mean the Government will be much clearer on what is happening in this area."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.