Conservatives call for Government statement on post office closures
The Conservatives have called for Patricia Hewitt, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, to urgently answer questions on the possible closure of up to 270 Crown post offices.
News of the possible closures emerged this morning, but the Royal Mail insists that no decision has been made on the future of the post offices. It did though confirm that there is currently a review of 560 Crown post offices.
Last year these post offices, which are mainly sited in busy urban areas, lost around £70 million.
Other options under consideration could include the selling off of post offices. Crown post offices are run directly by the Royal Mail rather than a franchisee, so a sell off could reduce Royal Mail’s liabilities without necessarily lowering the number of post offices in operation.
Michael Fabricant, who speaks for the Conservatives on trade and industry, said he would be calling for a Government statement on the issue.
Speaking on Monday, Mr Fabricant said: “The closure of 270 main post offices without any thought about replacement services is both irresponsible and damaging to the communities they serve.
“I am tabling urgent questions to Patricia Hewitt to ask whether she personally condones this decision and, if she does not, what she plans to do about ensuring that essential services are kept open.
“The next Conservative government will immediately set in place measures that would increase the viability of individual post offices.”
The Liberal Democrats also called for clarification. Spokesman Malcolm Bruce said: “We need to know under what criteria Royal Mail would close these offices – those that have the lowest business value, those that provide the least in terms of community service, or those with the greatest commercial value when sold.
“This move suggests that Royal Mail don’t have confidence in the high street business.”
Postwatch, the sector’s regulator, is also concerned at the timing of the review, which follows hot on the heels of the closure of other urban post offices. In 2002 Parliament gave the go-ahead for the closure of up to 3000 post offices. As of October this year, over 1500 post offices have closed across the UK.
