MP fights for rural post offices

12.00.00am GMT Wed 6th Dec 2006

John Thurso MP yesterday joined fellow Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs at a meeting with the Minister for Trade and Industry, Jim Fitzpatrick, to put the case for the retention of rural post office services and the Post Office Card Account. During the meeting he secured a commitment from the Post Office Minister to apply flexibly the new rules on which post offices will remain open in remote rural areas.

John Thurso commented:

"It has been apparent for some time now that on post office closures the question has been not "if" but "how many". The Post Office Minister today confirmed that a Government statement will be made before Christmas outlining the criteria which they will use when deciding which post offices will close.

"I put it to the Minister that where remote rural communities such as in Sutherland are concerned, the normal rules of population and geography do not apply and that sufficient flexibility in the criteria must reflect this. That point was accepted and I think that is significant.

"When the criteria are published I shall be seeking the widest possible range of views from people in the north, as, once post offices are closed, it will be next to impossible to reopen them.

"I also stressed the importance of maintaining the Post Office Card Account both to secure footfall in post offices and to help financially include those without bank accounts. The Minister indicated the government's intention to have a successor to POCA which is welcome."