Post Offices (Hansard, 1 May 2002)

§ Mr. Evans
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the effect that Post Office redundancies will have on the communities in Lancashire; and what the Government will do to help those people who will lose their jobs. [48603]

§ Mr. Alexander
The Consignia board decided that the company's costs needed to be reduced to stem its losses and improve its performance. At the moment it is not immediately clear what the effect in Lancashire will be. It is understood that up to 140 jobs will eventually be affected, although it is not known at this stage how many of these will actually be job losses. The company will792W offer as many of those affected as possible the option of continued employment with a different part of the business or a voluntary redundancy package.
The Government will do everything we can through the Jobcentre Plus and other agencies to provide support, assistance and new opportunities to those people losing their jobs.

§ Mr. Evans
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the effect that Post Office redundancies will have on the communities in Wales; and what the Government will do to help those people who will lose their jobs. [48604]

§ Mr. Alexander
The Consignia board decided that the company's costs needed to be reduced to stem its losses and improve its performance. At the moment it is not immediately clear what the effect in Wales will be. It is understood that up to 125 jobs will eventually be affected, although it is not known at this stage how many of these will actually be job losses. The company will offer as many of those affected as possible the option of continued employment with a different part of the business or a voluntary redundancy package.
The Government will do everything we can through the Jobcentre Plus and other agencies to provide support, assistance and new opportunities to those people losing their jobs.

§ Lady Hermon
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many(a) urban and (b) rural post offices are facing closure in Northern Ireland. [51947]

§ Mr. Alexander
[holding answer 23 April 2002]: Post office closures are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. The programme of urban restructuring has not yet begun.
The Government are committed to the maintenance of a nationwide network of post offices. We are also committed to providing transitional assistance to rural post offices and are developing proposals in the light of advice from Postcomm.