Post Office Services — Calls for systematic consultation before closure — rejected — 24 Mar 2004 at 16:07

The majority of MPs voted against the following motion:^[1]

• This House
• believes that all Post Office customers who wish to continue receiving their benefits, pension payments and tax credits through the Post Office should be able to do so through a Post Office Card Account opened at the counter of a Post Office or sub-post office;
• notes that the Government has encouraged Post Office customers to use their own bank accounts or basic bank accounts, whilst preventing the promotion of the Post Office Card Account;
• further believes that the Government should use the roll out of Direct Payment to encourage the take-up of all benefits and tax credits;
• calls on the Government to clarify urgently how housebound, disabled and older people who are not able to cope with the three direct payment options will be able to claim their pensions and benefits after 2005;
• recognises the significant role played by local post offices in both rural and urban areas;
• appreciates that ending cash benefit payments will deprive sub-postmasters of an average of 35 per cent. of their income; notes that this will make many post offices commercially unviable and is likely to lead to yet further closures;
• further calls on the Government to ensure that the urban post office closure programme is conducted systematically and only after consulting all relevant parties including Post Office users; and
• condemns the Government's failure to deliver benefits and tax credits in a simple, easy to understand manner while at the same time jeopardising the future prosperity of the Post Office.

This was replaced by a motion in favour of the Government in the following vote.^[2]

• [1] David Willetts MP, House of Commons, 24 march 2004
• [2] Post Office Services - Welcomes £2 billion investment, House of Commons, 24 March 2004

Debate in Parliament | Historical Hansard | Source |