More
branches face threat of closure, warn Conservatives.
Peter
Viggers, MP for the Gosport constituency, this week urged
action to safeguard the area’s remaining Post Offices
and protect vital community facilities. The call comes
as 1,000 sub-postmasters marched on Parliament on 18 October
protesting at Post Office closures, and as a Government
Minister asserted in response that there are ‘too
many offices’.
Under
the current Labour Government, one quarter of the Post
Office network has already closed and more cuts are expected
as a result of Labour’s
plans to abolish the Post Office Card Account in 2010.
Branches across the country also face threats from the
cancellation of rural Post Office subsidy in 2008; the
direct payment of benefits; DVLA moves to renew car tax
online and the opening of new regional Passport Offices.
Royal
Mail bosses have even suggested that the Post Office network
could be reduced to just 4,000 branches. Since 1999, Gosport
constituency has already lost 9 branches. Further cuts
on that scale could potentially mean that up to 9 more
could shut their doors.
In
response, Conservatives have launched an Action Plan to
save local Post Offices:
- Giving
Sub-Post Offices greater freedoms to offer a wider range
of commercial products
- Pushing
for more Post Offices to be ‘one stop shops’ for
central government services
- Campaigning
to save the Post Office Card Account from being axed
- Encouraging
local councils to consider opening ‘council counters’ in
local branches.
Peter
said, “Post Offices are the
lifeblood of the community. The Government needs to understand
the importance of their social role and the damaging uncertainty
over the future of the network must end.
“I want
to add my support to the Action Plan unveiled by David
Cameron, to give sub-Post Offices greater freedoms to diversify,
to provide more central and local government services through
branches, and to campaign to save the Post Office Card
Account.
“I hope this will put pressure on the Government
to develop a clear long-term strategy for the Post Office,
to help support our local branches and preserve these vital
community institutions.” |
