§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial support is available to rural post offices in Shrewsbury and Atcham. [93016]
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§ Mr. TimmsRural post offices across the UK will benefit from the £450 million package of financial support for the rural post office network that I announced on 2 December 2002.
The package is underpinned by the appointment of rural transfer advisers by POL and a £2 million fund to support community post office initiatives.
The rural network also benefits from investment in the network generally. The rural network benefits from the considerable investment in the network's IT, and in new products, including universal banking services. On automation alone, the Government have made the largest ever investment in the Post Office—£480 million—much of it on the rural network.
§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many(a) urban and (b) rural post offices closed in (i) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (ii) Shropshire in each year since 1997. [93074]
§ Mr. TimmsI am informed by Post Office Ltd. that current and historic data on the post office network is not held on a parliamentary constituency or county basis.