Post Office Closures

HC Deb 04 July 2001 vol 371 cc183-4W

Mr. Breed

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices closed each year for the last 20 years. [65]

Mr. Alexander

I understand from the Post Office that net post office closures in each of the last 20 years have been as follows:

Year ending	Closures
March
1982	70
1983	104
1984	243
1985	395
1986	358
1987	94
1988	140
1989	41
1990	159
1991	233
1992	478
1993	202
1994	176
1995	175
1996	193
1997	163
1998	243
1999	233
2000	382
2001	547

I am informed by the Post Office that of the closures of the year ending March 2001, only four are permanent.