§ Mr. David Taylor (North-West Leicestershire)The 85, 000 people in my mixed urban-rural constituency value and depend on the 36 sub-post offices that serve them.
Despite the excellent report "Counter Revolution" presented to Parliament last month by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, there remain local misgivings about the future of our post offices. Ravenstone Women's Institute has assembled a petition whose 568 signatories believe that the vital network of rural and urban post offices could be decimated if they are cut off from benefits and pensions work.
The petition states:
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons should not take any action that would jeopardise the survival of the current network but should address the underlying financial and economic pressures that are speeding the closure of post offices, local shops and bank branches.And the petitioners remain etc.It is my honour to present the petition to Parliament on behalf of residents of the village of Ravenstone and the surrounding area.
§ To lie upon the Table.