Ministers accused on post offices

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The government has been accused by MPs of showing a "real lack of concern" for people affected by its programme of 2,500 post office closures.

The Commons Public Accounts Committee said consultations were "window dressing" for decisions already made.

Many people were not even aware of the consultation process and concerns were "in effect ignored", its report added.

Post minister Lord Young said the closures were difficult but necessary to cut losses in the Post Office.

'Inadequate assessment'

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said: "The closure of the local post office can be a real blow to the community.

"So the inadequate assessment by the Department [for Business] of the social and economic costs of its programme to close some 2,500 post offices showed a real lack of concern for the citizens affected."

The clear message from the closure programme was that consumers value their post office Andy BurrowsConsumer Focus

He added: "The consultation process appeared to the public as little more than a piece of window dressing for a decision which to all intents and purposes had already been taken.

"The consultations to which Post Office Ltd has committed itself on any future proposals for permanent closure of branches must allow the public to have a real influence on the outcomes."

The committee said consultations over future closures would be brought into "disrepute" unless they were improved.

The Department for Business had failed to set out how the Post Office network should be structured, Mr Leigh added.

New contracts

Responding to the report, the National Federation of SubPostmasters said it was "bitterly disappointed with ministers' failure so far to champion the network and to make better use of its unrivalled levels of public trust and geographical reach".

Andy Burrows, of watchdog Consumer Focus, also called for more public services to be channelled through the network.

He said: "The clear message from the closure programme was that consumers value their post office.

"Government must heed this message and make sure post offices offer products and services that consumers actually want."

Lord Young said the closures were needed to ensure the viability of the rest of the network.

"In recent months the network has been awarded the government contract for payment and benefits, new work in relation to driving licence renewals and ID cards," he said.

"The prime minister has also announced that he wants the network to play a much bigger role, bringing banking services back to the heart of people's communities."