HC Deb 05 March 1993 vol 220 cc340-1W
Dr. Bray

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce legislation to place a statutory duty on the Post Office to continue to offer special concessionary rates of postage for despatching such items as talking books and Braille books to the blind or disabled.

Mr. Leigh

The current concessionary postage facilities for the blind are detailed in section 21 of the inland letter post scheme and section 2 of the overseas letter post scheme. These arrangements appear to work very well and I see no case for further legislation at present.

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many sub-post offices have had their opening hours reduced; and what is their location in Scotland in each year since 1979.

Mr. Leigh

The information requested is not available. The number of community and restricted hours offices operating in Scotland at the end of each of the last four financial years was as follows:

Community offices Restricted hours offices
March 1989 236 0
March 1990 287 2
March 1991 314 7
March 1992 340 8

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many new sub-post offices have been opened, and what has been their location in Scotland in each year since 1979.

Mr. Leigh

The numbers of new post offices opened in Scotland in the last four financial years are as follows:

Post offices opened
1988–89 6
1989–90 8
1990–91 6
1991–92 2

The numbers of new post offices opened in earlier years and individual locations could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many island post offices have closed in Scotland in each year since 1979;

(2) how many post offices have closed in Scotland in each year since 1979;

(3) how many rural sub-post offices have closed in Scotland in each year since 1979.

Mr. Leigh

The numbers of post offices closed in Scotland in each of the last four financial years are as follows:

Post offices closed
1988–89 21
1989–90 19
1990–91 32
1991–92 12

Many of these closures were in rural areas where, due to the decline in the number of village shops, it has not been possible to find suitable candidates for sub-postmasterships. The number of post office closures in earlier years and a breakdown of information by rural or island areas could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many sub-post postmasters and sub-post mistresses have been employed in Scotland in each year since 1979.

Mr. Leigh

Data are not available for the numbers of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses employed in Scotland since some hold more than one sub-post office.

The total number of sub-post offices in Scotland at the end of each of the last four financial years was as follows:

Number
1988–89 1,999
1989–90 2,019
1990–91 2,022
1991–92 2,046

The net increase is the result of the Crown Office conversion programme.

Mr. Kaufman

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recourse or protection is available against a person who, contrary to the repeatedly expressed wishes of the recipient, persists in sending letters to that recipient through the Royal Mail.

Mr. Leigh

[holding answer 3 March 1993]: Subject to certain statutory prohibitions, the Post Office has a duty to deliver all mail as addressed. It is, of course, open to an individual to seek an injunction against a persistent sender of unwelcome mail. Persons who do not wish to receive unsolicited mail can register with the mailing preference service, which covers some 90 per cent. of direct marketing firms, to have their names removed from mailing lists.