Lord Hawkeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are aware that the widespread closure of sub-post offices is causing great public inconvenience, the closure of small businesses and the loss of jobs; and how they reconcile this with their statements that they look to small businesses to help solve the unemployment problem.
§ Lord Lucas of ChilworthThe Government appreciate that the closure of any post office is bound to inconvenience some people who will need to travel further to alternative offices. But we are satisfied that the Post Office's proposals to reduce the number of urban post offices strike the right balance between the need for efficiency in its operations and the social needs of those whom it serves. In implementing these proposals, the closure of particular offices is an operational matter for the Post Office, but I understand that there have been no compulsory redundancies of sub-postmasters. The Government's policies towards small businesses aim to create an economic climate which will promote sustained growth in the small business sector and elsewhere. In this way real jobs willl be created. The Government reject the alternative of seeking to protect individual businesses irrespective of their particular circumstances.