POST OFFICE CLOSURES

That this House regrets the proposal to close up to 2,500 post offices; recognises the seminal role post offices play in local communities; notes the unpopularity amongst the general public of closing such a large portion of the network; has concerns that the access criteria laid down for the closures consultation do not adequately take into account local geographical factors and public transport networks; is concerned that the consultation period is only scheduled to last for six weeks rather than three months; and believes that options for business expansion which may have helped individual post offices to remain open should be explored further.