PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
FUTURE OF THE POST OFFICE (18 October 2016)

That this House is extremely concerned about announcements made by the Post Office in 2016 which will mean the closure of more than 60 of its flagship branches, the loss of around 2,000 jobs and the closure of its defined benefit pension scheme; notes that these are the latest in a series of significant cost-cutting measures undertaken by the Post Office following its separation from Royal Mail and a reduction in government funding of 60 per cent in five years; believes that the commitment from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in 2010 to make the Post Office a genuine Front Office for Government to help secure its future has failed; further believes that the Post Office is at crisis point and cannot survive without a robust strategy for growing new revenues, such as the establishment of a Post Bank; further notes that the Government is due to commence talks with the Post Office on its future business plan and funding for 2018 and beyond; and calls on the Government to bring together key stakeholders and industry experts to develop a strategy to safeguard the future of the Post Office as a matter of urgency.

Sponsored by:
Kelvin Hopkins (Independent)