§ 19. Mr. Gourlayasked the Postmaster-General how many retirement pensions are paid weekly at the sub-post offices in Octavia Street and Pentland Place, Kirkcaldy, respectively.
§ Mr. GourlayIs the hon. Lady aware that those figures represent only a small proportion of the pensioners in the areas covered by these offices and that there are other people who are also forced to travel an inconvenient distance to Dunearn Drive and Kirkcaldy General Post Offices to transact business? Will she ask her right hon. Friend to reconsider the decision of his predecessor in June, 1959, and to grant counter facilities at Hendry Road and Valley Gardens Corner?
§ Miss PikeI have looked into the position very carefully and I find that the district is very well provided with sub-offices. There is the Octavia Street office and the Pentland Place office—it is very confusing because one of them 474 is called Sauchenbush office and there are two other places, Smeaton and Templehall. My information is that none of the people has to walk very far to the sub-office and that the majority of people live near to the Pentland Place office in the older part of the town.
§ Mr. GourlayDoes not the hon. Lady realise that distances can be confusing and that one has to take account of the terrain? Have not many hon. Members opposite raised similar questions of areas where services should be provided, irrespective of the distance between the various sub-offices? Will the hon. Lady reconsider the decision?
§ Miss PikeI will keep the position in mind, but I assure the hon. Gentleman that the matter has been thoroughly studied.