§ 12. Mr. McNamaraasked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will give a direction to the Post Office Corporation not to close city centre post offices in busy shopping areas on Saturday afternoons.
§ 23. Mr. James Johnsonasked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will give a general direction to the Post Office not to close city-centre post offices on Saturday afternoons.
§ Sir J. EdenNo, Sir. The nature and scale of counter services in any locality are management matters for the Post Office and a general direction would not be appropriate.
§ Mr. McNamaraMay I urge the right hon. Gentleman to change his mind and to issue this directive? Is he aware that in my constituency the post office that is to be closed is central to the constituency and right in the middle of the busiest shopping and business area, and that the other Crown office and sorting office has been closed, which can only cause a great deal of inconvenience to constituents of mine and of my hon. Friends in the city? Surely the Post Office Corporation must go back to the time when it thought about service to the public.
§ Sir J. EdenThis must be a matter for the Post Office management itself, which has the responsibility of administering these matters.
§ Mr. JohnsonHas the Minister no conscience about the steady erosion of facilities to women shopping on Saturdays? Is he aware that this is happening in all big cities, and that this magnificent public service is now copying the pernicious habits of commercial banks on Saturdays? Is the Minister satisfied with the Alice-in-Wonderland logic of the situation, whereby women have five shopping days in the week but may be faced with two Sundays at the end of the week?
§ Sir J. EdenI can only remind the hon. Gentleman that the Post Office Act 1969, which he no doubt supported, placed clearly upon the shoulders of the management of the Post Office the responsibility for conducting its affairs with efficiency and economy. It is for the Post Office management to determine how this should be done in the local and the general interest.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergDoes my right hon. Friend agree that this is a matter that has been referred by the Post Office to the Post Office Users National Council, which issued a very full report which was unanimous, and that hon. Members opposite would do well to read what that document said?
§ Sir J. EdenI am grateful to my hon. Friend for reminding me of the existence of the extremely helpful report by the Post Office Users National Council.
§ Mr. MartenOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. As there is no ministerial responsibility for this Question, may we be told why it was allowed on the Order Paper?
§ Mr. SpeakerI will consider the point.