HL Deb 21 May 1996 vol 572 cc93-4WA
Baroness Castle of Blackburn

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many branch offices of the Post Office have been privatised since they announced that they were not going to denationalise it; and what reduction of staff has taken place since that date.

The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Fraser of Carmyllie)

I understand from the Post Office that, since November 1994, 110 Crown post offices have been converted to agency status and that, since then, some 750 staff have chosen to leave Post Office Counters Ltd on voluntary redundancy terms for a variety of reasons. It is not possible to say how many of these staff did so as a result of the conversions.