MP calls on Hull to follow Essex example on post offices

Diana Johnson MP has called on Hull City Council to follow Essex County Council in working with Post Office Ltd to safeguard local post office branches.

The Hull North MP today wrote to the Leader of Hull City Council to encourage the local authority to use powers granted by the Government to explore the idea of working in partnership with Post Office Ltd to take over branches that have closed or are due to close.

This follows the example of Essex County Council, which is negotiating a buy-out price from Post Office Ltd for 15 branches in its area. Labour Postal Affairs Minister Pat McFadden has given his approval to the Essex scheme.

The House of Commons today debated a motion from the Conservative Party advocating a temporary delay in the Royal Mail Ltd post office closure programme. Diana Johnson MP will oppose the Tory motion and support the Labour amendment, which reads:

"This House recognises the vital social and economic role of post offices, in particular in rural and deprived urban communities; notes the decline in post office customer numbers in recent years and the financial losses of £174 million incurred by the network in 2007; further recognises the effect of changes such as direct debit facilities and increased use of the internet for payment and communication; commends the Government's action to support the post office network with investment of up to £1.7 billion up until 2011, including an annual subsidy of £150 million; further notes that this subsidy did not exist under the last government and that without it thousands more post offices would be under threat; and urges the Government to continue working with Post Office Limited to ensure a viable and sustainable network for the future."

Diana Johnson MP said: "I made representations on behalf of constituents last year about the particular two Hull North branches that Post Office Ltd wanted to close. This included organising the only public consultation meeting that took place locally to be attended by Post Office Ltd if not by local Lib Dem councillors.

"However, both of these Hull North closures have now happened and today's Tory motion in the Commons is irrelevant to Hull North.

"Worse still, the Tories only propose a temporary delay on further closures and do not identify extra public subsidy, on top of that already committed by the Government, to keep open more of those loss-making branches threatened with closure. The Tory motion is therefore as opportunistic as the Royal Mail privatisation plans of the Lib Dems.

"A more constructive and relevant way forward for Hull would be to look, as they are in Essex, at how councils and others can work together with Post Office Ltd on maintaining some of the threatened post office branches.

"I have been campaigning for the post office branch network and Royal Mail to remain as an integrated public service - in contrast to Lib Dem privatisation plans. I would therefore support such a partnership initiative in Hull - if there is local public support for it and if it could provide a long-term solution.

"This is why I have written to Hull City Council to ask them to join the many local authorities taking an interest in exploring a partnership with Post Office Ltd."