§ Linda GilroyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with clearing banks about the need to ensure their services are accessible to people who wish to conduct their business on a face-to-face basis and the role which post offices and sub-post offices can play in achieving this. [135016]
§ Mr. TimmsNone. This is a commercial matter for the banks. Banking and other financial services are central to the Post Office's strategy for the future of the network. With almost 17,000 offices, Post Office Ltd has one of the largest retail networks of any organisation in Europe and the Government's investment of £480 million on computerising the post office network means that the Post Office can achieve a new role as a convenient place for people to do their banking
Universal banking services which successfully went live on 1 April, and these services together with Post Office Ltd's plans for an expansion of network banking 393W (commercial arrangements between the Post Office and individual banks providing access to standard bank accounts at post office counters) should lead to a substantial increase in the number of people using post offices for banking transactions.