§ Mr. Peter Millsasked the Secretary for State for Industry what response he has made to the representations of the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters concerning the generation of more business for sub-post offices.
§ Mr. Michael MarshallIn the context of the review being conducted by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of
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§ Mr. MacGregorStatistics of receipts from the European regional development fund are maintained on a regional basis and could not be provided for individual assisted areas without disproportionate cost. The sums received from the ERDF in respect of each United Kingdom region in the years 1975 to 1980 are as follows:
State for Social Services of alternative methods of paying social security benefits, Ministers in both the Department of Health and Social Security and the Department of Industry met representatives of the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters to discuss the prospects for additional business for post office counters.
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services made clear in his statement to the House on 12 May—[Vol. 4, c. 617–27]—we believe that over the period to the end of 1985–86, bearing in mind the legislative changes proposed in the British Telecommunications Bill, counter business from new and existing customers can be expected to grow by up to 10 per cent.