§ Mr. HowardTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the closure of Saltwood post office is consistent with her policy on rural post offices. [57798]
§ Mr. Timms[holding answer 20 May 2002]: I understand from Post Office Ltd. that Saltwood post office is classified as an urban outlet. As a result of representations received by the company this has been reviewed recently and the classification reconfirmed.
The Government's formal requirement placed on Consignia in November 2000 to maintain the rural network and to prevent avoidable closures remains in place.
§ Mr. HowardTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the classification by Consignia of Saltwood post office as an urban post office is in accordance with her policy. [57789]
§ Mr. Timms[holding answer 20 May 2002]: The Government's formal requirement placed on Consignia in November 2000 to maintain the rural network and to prevent avoidable closures remains in place. A rural post office is one defined as serving up to 10,000 inhabitants and it is the responsibility of Post Office Ltd. to classify outlets accordingly.