Post Office Closures (Hansard, 16 December 2003)

§ Mrs. Calton
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what definition of deprivation is used for the half-mile rule applied to post office closures. [143036]

§ Mr. Timms
There is no such rule but, in England, post office branches in the 20 per cent. most deprived wards (as defined by the Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2000) and more than half a mile from the nearest alternative post office are, other than in exceptional circumstances, ring fenced from inclusion in closure 817W proposals under the Urban Reinvention programme. In Scotland and Wales the relevant national indices are used.

§ Mrs. Calton
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices in each constituency have remained open because of the half-mile rule. [143038]

§ Mr. Timms
There is no such rule, but, in deprived urban areas, post office branches which are more than half a mile from the nearest alternative post office are, except in exceptional circumstances, ring fenced from inclusion in closure proposals under the Urban Reinvention programme. Final decisions on any such closure proposals, after consideration of representations received during public consultation, are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd.

§ Mrs. Calton
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices notified for closure under the Network Intervention Programme have(a) closed and (b) remained open after public consultation procedures, by constituency, in the last year. [143039]

§ Mr. Timms
Decisions on post office closure proposals under the urban reinvention programme following public consultation are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

§ Mr. Laws
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many(a) consultations on post office closures have taken place as part of the urban reinvention programme and (b) post offices have remained open following such consultation in each region in the United Kingdom. [143109]

§ Mr. Timms
[holding answer 9 December 2003]: Decisions on post office closure proposals under the urban reinvention programme following public consultation are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.