North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has spoken of the UK Government’s commitment to keeping Post Office branches open after concerns were raised in the Assembly Chamber this week that its current Consultation on the Post Office Network could result in the closure of rural branches.
During an Urgent Question in the Assembly Chamber, the Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Carl Sargeant allayed the fears by stating that ‘this consultation contains no specific proposals for rural post offices.’
Addressing the Secretary, Mr Isherwood said: “The UK Government Business, Energy and Industrial Department says the consultation has nothing to do with closing branches’ and the Post Office spokesperson said the Consultation was part of the Government’s application to the European Union to continue the state aid to the network. I welcome the fact that you say you’re going to make representations. I wonder if you could confirm that you would share both the representations you make and the responses you receive with the Assembly.”
The Cabinet Secretary said he would be happy to share with Members the (Welsh) Government’s response and the response back from the UK Ministers.
Mr Isherwood added: “Because the current UK Government recognises the importance of the Post Office in the community, 93% of the population live within a mile of a branch and, following Labour’s Post Office Closure Programme during the last decade, it will have invested nearly two billion pounds in modernising and maintaining the network between 2010 and 2018, leading to an extra 200,000 opening hours per week.”