HC Deb 08 January 2001 vol 360 cc359-60W
Mr. Lilley

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the commercial risk of publishing the formula proposed by the Post Office for calculating a social network payment for sub-post offices. [143655]

Mr. Byers

[holding answer 21 December 2000]: I am considering proposals from the Post Office, submitted to me in confidence, for the establishment of a formula.

Mr. Page

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will publish the list of rural post offices that will formally be required by the Government to be maintained by the post office network as set out in conclusion two of the Performance and Innovation Unit report "Counter Revolution: Modernising the Post Office Network". [144267]

Mr. Alan Johnson

The formal requirement on the Post Office to maintain the rural network and to prevent any avoidable closures of rural post offices is in place. As over 9,000 post offices are classified as rural for the purposes of this requirement, it is not my intention to publish a list of them.

Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his most recent estimate is of the number and percentage of people living in rural areas who live within(a) one mile and (b) half a mile of a post office; and if he will provide corresponding estimates for years since 1979. [144365]

Mr. Alan Johnson

I understand from the Post Office that a one-off data analysis was undertaken last year for the Performance and Innovation Unit report, which showed that 99 per cent. of the rural population live within three miles of a post office and that 94 per cent. of the UK population live within one mile of a post office. Estimates for previous years are not available.