HC Deb 07 December 1966 vol 737 cc1331-3
3. Sir D. Glover

asked the Postmaster-General whether post offices in the Liverpool district are to close at 5.30 p.m.; and, in view of the hardship and inconvenience to the residents of Ormskirk and surrounding district, whether he will arrange for some of these offices to stay open until a later hour.

9. Mr. Evelyn King

asked the Postmaster-General why the post office at Swanage is now to close at 4.30 p.m. instead of 5.30 p.m. on Saturdays.

20. Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Postmaster-General what representations he has received on the recent curtailment of Post Office hours; and if, in view of these representations, he will reconsider these hours.

29. Mr. A. Royle

asked the Postmaster-General if, in view of the representations he has received, he will reconsider his decision to institute early closing on Saturdays of Richmond Post Office.

Mr. Edward Short

I have received representations from several hon. Members, local authorities and others.

The changes in hours are part of the drive we are making to cope with rising costs and manpower problems and I am afraid they must go on. I have looked carefully into the position in Ormskirk, Richmond and Swanage; I am satisfied that the circumstances are not such that I should be justified in making an exception to the new general closing times of 5.30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 4.30 p.m. Saturday. In Liverpool, however, three Post Offices, which are amongst the busiest in the country, are to stay open until 6 p.m. or 6.30 p.m. Monday to Friday: other offices are closing at 5.30 p.m.

Sir D. Glover

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that his reply will give great dissatisfaction to a great number of people all over the country? Is he aware that, in the Ormskirk area, there are probably a greater number of salesmen and travellers than anywhere else in the North-West, that they do not finish work until after 5.30 and that to have no postal facilities or post office open presents a great many problems to them? Will he look at this again?

Mr. Short

The hon. Gentleman will also realise that in most of our operations in the Post Office the ratio of labour costs is very high indeed. Virtually the only way we can economise in many of these services is on labour. That is one of the objectives in these operations. The other, of course, is to make work in the Post Office more attractive to try and get more labour.

Mr. Evelyn King

Would not the right hon. Gentleman concede that Swanage—and other towns like it—is a special case because its population increases by tens of thousands during the summer while the post office facilities remain the same? If there is a problem will he consider staggering the hours of the staff?

Mr. Short

I looked into the case of Swanage very carefully but concluded that there is not really a special problem. The post office there is very little used in the last half hour. Indeed, if post offices remained open until 10 p.m. some people would still come in at five minutes to.

Mr. Boardman

While my right hon. Friend is closing post offices earlier, the Home Secretary is trying to get retail shops to close later. Will these two Ministers get together?

Mr. Short

I have been into the case of Ince very carefully. The only shop which stays open later than the post office is the local "Co-op". All the other shops close and the "Co-op"—in fairness to the post office workers—closes for another half day when the post office is open, and another whole day when the post office is open. I think that, on balance, we are being fair. The number of people using the post office in the last half hour is 32.

Mr. Roberts

Is my right hon. Friend aware that this curtailment will cause considerable difficulty to working people? Is he aware that I have had dozens of representations, including some from Luton, Bedford and Leighton Buzzard Councils, about this matter? Would he not agree that expansion must be the keynote of our Government's attitude to the social services and that curtailment and contract ion belong to the party opposite?

Mr. Short

There is no curtailment or contraction of the services, which are better than they have ever been. All we are doing is to close post offices at a reasonable time because very few people use them in the last half hour.

Mr. Royle

Will the right hon. Gentleman look at this matter again and reconsider his decision? Is he aware that Richmond has a special case? Is he aware that relations between the general public and the General Post Office are at an all-time low and that this sort of decision does not improve relationships between his Department and its customers?

Mr. Short

It is quite untrue that re-relationships between the public and the General Post Office are at an all-time low. Relations are extremely good. The number of people who are using the post office at Richmond in the last half-hour of its opening is very small.

Mr. Bryan

While acknowledging that the Post Office is in exactly the same difficulty with costs as the whole of industry, will the Postmaster-General tell the House whether he considers that the Post Office policy of giving less service at higher prices is in line with the Government's prices and incomes policy?

Mr. Short

The 400,000 people who work in the Post Office will notice that the hon. Gentleman loses no opportunity to knock them for purely party political purposes. The services of the men and women in the Post Office are quite the best in the world.

Sir D. Glover

On a point of order. Owing to the unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I propose to raise the matter on the Adjournment.