Mass Rural Post Office Closures on The Government's Agenda

12.00.00am GMT Wed 11th Jan 2006

In advance of the parliamentary debate secured to discuss the future of the Post Office network, Norman Lamb MP, Liberal Democrat Trade and Industry Secretary, and Danny Alexander, MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, issued a joint statement:

"The current Government protection ensuring no closures within the rural Post office network ends this March. This, coupled with the Government's failure to give any guarantees on economic subsidies beyond March 2008 means there is a serious risk that the floodgates of mass rural post office closures will soon be opened.

"Action and reassurance is needed by the Government now to prevent this occurring. The closure of rural post offices can have a profound effect on communities, particularly the more vulnerable members of society such as the elderly, disabled and those without transport of their own."

"It is vital that the true social value of this network is included as well as its economic value when looking at the long-term future of this valuable network."