HC Deb 29 March 1994 vol 240 cc640-3W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish tables showing the number of sub-agency and Crown status post offices in each English region, Wales and Northern Ireland in each year since 1989; how many of each category of post office in each case opened or closed in each year since 1989; and how many changed status.

Mr. Heseltine

The number of directly operated main post offices, other main post offices and sub post offices in operation in each of the years from March 1989 to February 1994 are shown in tables 1 to 6 by current Post Office Counters English regions, and with Northern Ireland and Wales shown separately. Because of administrative boundary changes during the period, the historic apportionment between regions is a best estimate. Figures of sub office closures and openings are available from March 1993 only and are shown in table 7; for 1992–93 they are available only at disproportionate cost, and are not available for earlier years. The number of Crown post office conversions is shown on a cumulative basis in the column "other main post offices", with openings and closures not linked to Crown office conversions shown separately for each year.

Table 1
Regional breakdown of offices—March 1989
Post Office Counters Regions Directly Operated Main Post Offices Other Main Post Offices Sub Offices Total
Northern Ireland 28 0 663 691
Wales 109 0 1,995 2,104
North East 131 0 2,836 2,967
North West 147 0 1,863 2,010
Midlands 137 0 2,247 2,384
South West 139 0 2,449 2,588
North Thames/East Anglia 346 0 3,072 3,418
South East 263 0 2,219 2,482
Total 1,300 0 17,344 18,644
Table 2
Regional breakdown of offices—March 1990
Post Office Counters Regions Directly Operated Main Post Offices Other Main Post Offices Sub Offices Total
Northern Ireland 11 24 3 657 684
Wales 94 15 1,978 2,087
North East 113 18 2,801 2,932
North West 128 19 1,856 2,003
Midlands 11 120 17 2,220 2,357
South West 127 12 2,397 2,536
North Thames/East Anglia 323 22 3,043 3,388
South East 248 15 2,184 2,447
Total 1,177 121 17,136 18,434
1 Two main offices closed.
Table 3
Regional breakdown of offices—March 1991
Post Office Counters Regions Directly operated main post offices Other main post offices Sub-offices Total
Northern Ireland 24 3 647 674
Wales 11 78 30 1,949 2,057
North East 12 92 38 2,766 2,896
North West 11 111 35 1,834 1,980
Midlands 11 107 21 29 2,192 2,328
South West 12 21 111 27 2,335 2,473
North Thames/East Anglia 12 293 50 2,987 3,330
South East 218 45 2,150 2,413
Total 1,034 257 16,860 18,151
1Nine main offices closed.
2Two new main offices opened.
Table 4
Regional breakdown of offices—March 1992
Post Office Counters Regions Directly operated main post offices Other main post offices Sub-offices Total
Northern Ireland 22 5 648 675
Wales 67 40 1,897 2,004
North East 11 83 23 48 2,742 2,873
North West 103 43 1,824 1,970
Midlands 11 93 42 2,187 2,322
South West 12 98 40 2,309 2,447
North Thames/East Anglia 262 21 83 2,987 3,332
South East 192 70 2,130 2,392
Total 920 371 16,724 18,015
11 Four main offices closed.
11 Four new main offices opened.
Table 5
Regional breakdown of offices—March 1993
Post Office counters regions Directly operated main post offices Other main post offices Sub offices Total
Northern Ireland 21 6 652 679
Wales 59 49 1,878 1,986
North East 73 22 61 2,701 2,835
North West 1221 96 49 1,816 1,961
Midlands 78 56 2,156 2,290
South West 87 22 .. 51 2,259 2,397
North Thames/East Anglia 1321 233 22 102 2,961 3,296
South East 187 22 .. 87 2,105 2,379
Total 834 461 16,528 17,823
1 Five main offices closed.
2 Nine new main offices opened.
Table 6
Regional breakdown of offices—February 1994
Post office counters regions Directly operated main post offices Other main post offices Sub offices Total
Northern Ireland 19 8 650 677
Wales 54 54 1,865 1,973
North East 70 65 2,668 2,803
North West 89 56 1,805 1,950
Midlands 65 65 2,073 2,203
South West 80 58 2,253 2,391
North Thames/East Anglia 224 12 117 2,974 3,315
South East 172 11 103 2,105 2,380
Total 773 526 16,393 17,692
1 Three new main offices opened.
Table 7
Regional breakdown of changes to sub-offices—March 1993—February 1994
Post office counters regions Net closures of sub-offices Conversions to main offices New sub-offices Net reduction
Northern Ireland 2 — — 2
Wales 13 — — 13
North East 32 — — 33
North West 10 1 — 11
Midlands 83 — — 83
South West 10 — 4 6
North Thames/East Anglia 1-10 — 3 —13
South East 0 — — 0
Total 140 2 7 135
1 This figure relates to re-opening of sub-offices which have previously been temporarily closed.