HC Deb 04 July 1994 vol 246 cc9-10
10. Mr. Jacques Arnold

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he is taking to maintain the continued delivery of social security benefits through a nationwide network of post offices.

15. Dr. Twinn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether benefits will continue to be delivered through post offices.

Mr. Lilley

Customers will continue to be able to choose to receive their pension or other benefits at the post office. I have three clear objectives for the delivery of benefits: to give our customers the choice of where they receive their benefit; to reduce the cost of delivering that service; and to eliminate fraud.

Mr. Arnold

Is not that good news, and does not it contradict the scaremongering at the expense of the vulnerable that we have heard from the Opposition? Does not the continued use of sub-post offices by the Department provide a firm base for those sub-post offices further to extend their business and underwrite the future viability of sub-post offices in rural and suburban areas, which are of great importance and have the strong support of Conservative Members?

Mr. Lilley

The proposals that I announced at the sub-postmasters' conference in Bournemouth to guarantee choice to everyone and automate the payment of benefits through post offices were well received by postmasters there and throughout the country since. They are good for post offices and offer the guarantee that we shall continue that help. They will enable post offices to widen their business by building on the back of those automated services. But they are also good for customers and taxpayers because they will help to eliminate costly fraud.

Dr. Twinn

May I thank my right hon. Friend for his crystal clear commitment to a national network of sub-post offices? Does he agree that the scaremongering by the Opposition serves only further to undermine sub-post offices around the country? Will he now press ahead with automation and identity card systems to make sub-post offices safe places for pensioners and benefit receivers to use?

Mr. Lilley

I certainly can promise to do that. We are seeking the involvement of the private sector to expedite the process because we believe that it can bring in both finance and expertise to the rapid delivery of these complex systems.

Mr. Barry Jones

Can the right hon. Gentleman guarantee no closures of sub-post offices in Wales and in my constituency?

Mr. Lilley

The hon. Gentleman knows full well that no one can do that. But what we have done is to offer a guarantee that there will continue to be a national automated network of sub-post offices which will be much stronger than it has ever been before.