§ 7. Mr. Ridleyasked the Postmaster-General if he will reverse his decision to downgrade Chipping Campden Post Office from a Crown office to a sub-office.
§ Mr. Joseph SlaterNo, Sir. As the hon. Member knows, this will involve no alteration in the local postal services and it will save a substantial amount of money.
§ Mr. RidleyIs the hon. Gentleman aware that there has been failure of public relations over this? Will he send a senior official to explain the reasons 496 for this decision to the people in Chipping Campden? If he does, he will have a greater chance of the policy being accepted.
§ Mr. SlaterThe counter work at the Post Office has declined and the trend is likely to continue. Although this decision has been taken in principle, the downgrading will not be immediately effective. The date will be determined by the end of the lease on the premises, which is September 1967. There will be no redundancy problem.
§ Mr. RidleyWill the hon. Gentleman answer my question as to why he will not send a representative to explain the decision to the people concerned?
§ Mr. SlaterI see no reason whatever to send anyone. We have our people there already. The case has been thoroughly investigated and we cannot find any formal complaint.