Time to end post office decline
March 9, 2007 10:00 AM
David Howarth has submitted a formal response to the Government's consultation on proposals to close 2500 post offices.
The consultation was launched in December after the Department of Trade and Industry announced plans to reconfigure the post office network, with planned closures for 2500 as yet unnamed branches.
Mr. Howarth commented:
"The Government is yet again planning to close large numbers of post offices. The 'urban reinvention programme' led to the closures of post offices in Castle Street, Cameron Road, Victoria Road, Mitcham's Corner, Wulfstan Way and Brookfields. Now the remaining post offices are at risk.
"This Government has actively undermined the post office network. We need real investment to allow post offices to expand into new and innovative services which could secure their financial future and improve services provided to post office users.
"At the moment post offices work under incredibly restrictive rules which limit which services they can offer and which hold back innovation. This needs to change.
"We need to look at where new post offices are needed and then investment is needed to make sure that they can re-open. The Government's current plans provide virtually no new investment and fail to deal with the causes of the post office's financial difficulties.
David visiting Cambridge Delivery office
"Post offices play a vital role in our communities and providing services to the more vulnerable members of society. This is why we cannot allow the post office network to wither away. The Government's job is not to manage its eventual and inevitable decline but to reinvigorate the post office and safeguard these services."
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