§ Mr. HepburnTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on Consignia's proposed job cuts. [24621]
§ Mr. AlexanderConsignia's intention to make the cost savings it has announced is an operational issue for the company which is consulting with the unions on the matter. The company has not informed the Government of specific plans of how it intends to achieve these savings.
§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many(a) employees and (b) managers there are in each business unit of Consignia, broken down by (i) gender and (ii) ethnic origin. [24452]
§ Mr. AlexanderConsignia is responsible for the number and location of its employees. I am advised by the company that the information sought is not available in the format requested.
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§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her latest estimate is of(a) the annual value of Benefits Agency business to Consignia which will be lost as a result of the introduction of automated credit transfer and (b) the expected revenue to be gained by Consignia through the operation of the Universal bank. [25370]
§ Mr. AlexanderThe current value of Benefits Agency business to Consignia is some £400 million a year. The migration of benefit payments to ACT is scheduled to begin in 2003. How that migration affects the revenue of Consignia and the post office network will depend on a number of factors, not least how benefit recipients and other post office customers respond to change.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria are used by Consignia to determine whether a post office is facing unavoidable closure; and if she will make a statement. [25369]
§ Mr. AlexanderConsignia define an unavoidable closure of a post office as one where no one suitable is prepared to take over from the departing sub-postmaster, where no suitable premises remain available or can be identified or where an associated retail business is no longer commercially viable.