§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Government will make transitional finance available for rural sub-post offices before 2003; and if she will make it her policy that the universal bank will be post office based. [30]
§ Mr. AlexanderDecisions on the provision of transitional financial assistance for rural sub-post offices will be taken in the context of advice from the Postal Services Commission which we expect to receive in the autumn in line with the recommendations of the Performance and Innovation Unit report. Earlier this year, a new Government fund, with a funding allocation for the current financial year, was announced to help with the costs of relocating and refurbishing rural post offices. Universal banking services is a Post Office based approach which will ensure that those benefit and pension recipients who wish to continue to collect their benefits in cash, in full, across a post office counter, will be able to do so.