§ Sarah TeatherTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations she has had with the Post Office about(a) the closures of Crown post offices and (b) the consequences of closing the Crown Post Office at Brondesbury. [132725]
§ Mr. TimmsDecisions on closures of individual post offices are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd., but all such proposals are subject to public consultation under the Code of Practice agreed between Post Office Ltd. and Postwatch. Post Office Ltd's decision to close Brondesbury Crown post office has been taken in the context of its programme to restructure the urban post office network and the need to address the substantial losses made by the Crown office part of the network. I understand from Post Office Ltd. that there are three alternative offices between half and three-quarters of a mile from Brondesbury.