North East Herts MP, Oliver Heald, has backed campaigners who want to save Wadesmill Post Office.
Oliver visited the Post Office on Friday, where he met members of the Parish Council, including Parish Council Chairman, Russell Parkin, and other campaigners, including County Councillor David Beatty and Hedley Banks. He was handed a petition and then addressed the meeting. Oliver said, “The Government are closing 2,500 Post Offices for commercial reasons, while ignoring the social value of post offices, particularly as the hub of rural communities. Closing a Post office like Wadesmill does not just make it more difficult to access post office services, it also damages the social amenities of the village, The Government have never understood the rural way of life. They took most of the business away from Post Offices when they abolished over-the-counter payment of benefits and pensions. Now they turn round and say that village post offices have lost business and must close. We will fight to save our village Post Offices and I encourage everyone locally to respond to the consultation before 26 August.”
End
Notes :
1. Comments should go to Laura Tarling, Network Development Manager, c/o National Consultation Team, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM
OR
e-mail: consultation@postoffice.co.uk
2. Oliver has a long record of battling to save post offices. When he was a Social Security Minister, he saved numerous post offices by agreeing to introduce electronic technology for benefits’ payments at post offices and as a spokesman, he pressed successfully for introduction of the Post Office Card Account. He has also raised the subject of post office closures in the House on many occasions (see below) and has met postmasters.
“Mr. Oliver Heald (North-East Hertfordshire) (Con): The Minister will be aware that according to Save the Children 1.3 million children in our country live in severe poverty, and yet the take-up of benefits by families entitled to them is poor. One of the most effective ways of getting across the message of take-up campaigns is to use post offices; indeed, in rural areas they are the only institution of that kind. Why is the Minister closing post offices?
Phil Hope: The hon. Gentleman makes a fair point about access and take-up of benefits………….” Hansard 19 March 2008 col 906