Rural Post Offices

HC Deb 29 June 1999 vol 334 c89W

Mr. Rendel

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many rural post offices there were in Scotland, Wales and England(a) at the latest available date, (b) in 1997, (c) in 1989 and (d) in 1979. [88080]

Mr. Ian McCartney

[holding answer 24 June 1999]: The Post Office have advised the numbers of rural post offices in Scotland, Wales and England as follows:

	Scotland	Wales	England
End May 1999	1,140	987	6,272
End March 1998	1,170	983	6,535

I understand that, prior to March 1998, Post Office Counters Ltd. did not break down the numbers of post offices by country but only by its own administrative regions.