§ David TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what procedures govern the categorisation of rural and urban post offices. [157810]
§ Mr. TimmsThe decision to classify a post office branch as urban or rural is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. The company classifies as rural any post office within a community of less than 10,000 inhabitants. Above that the post office is classified as urban. I understand that the company has a geographical mapping model that enables it to adopt a consistent approach to classification across the country.