§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many(a) rural and (b) urban sub-post offices operated unprofitably in the last financial year in each constituency in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland; and how many of these in each constituency will benefit from the new fund to improve the quality of post offices. [128749]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonIn its report on the Post Office network, the Performance and Innovation Unit has estimated that around 90 per cent. of urban sub-post offices operate profitably and that around 60 per cent. of rural sub-post offices operate unprofitably. I understand from the Post Office that they do not hold data by constituency for the numbers of urban or rural sub-post offices operating unprofitably.
§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many urban and rural sub-post offices closed for avoidable reasons in the years(a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999. [128751]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonI understand that the Post Office does not hold the specific data requested for causes of closure of sub-post offices. The Post Office seeks as far as possible not to close post offices when it can be avoided. As the Performance and Innovation Unit's report recognises, sub-post office closures occur typically in small rural communities where a sub-postmaster resigns or dies and, despite best efforts, the Post Office can find no suitable replacement to take over the running of the office.
§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his oral statement of 28 June 2000,Official Report, columns 907–20, how many (a) urban and (b) rural sub-post offices were unavoidably closed because (i) no one was prepared to take over from the departing sub-postmaster and (ii) an associated retail business was no longer commercially viable, in (1) 1997, (2) 1998 and (3) 1999. [128750]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonI understand that the Post Office does not hold the specific data requested for causes of closure of sub-post offices. The Post Office seeks as far 209W as possible not to close post offices when it can be avoided. The total numbers of sub-post offices which have closed in the last three financial years are:
Year Sub-post offices 1997–98 238 1998–99 232 1999–2000 380