Observations

Southall Crown Post Office

1. The petition of residents of the constituency of Ealing Southall in the county of Middlesex,
2. Declares that Southall Crown Post Office should not be closed by Post Office Limited.
3. The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to work with Post Office Limited and Nick Read CEO to ensure that Southall Crown Post Office is not closed.
4. And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Mr Virendra Sharma, Official Report, 28 February 2024; Vol. 746, c. 403.]
5. [P002918]
6. Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kevin Hollinrake):
7. While publicly owned, Post Office operates at arm’s length from Government as a commercial business with its own board.  The management of the branch network is an operational responsibility for Post Office Limited. It would therefore not be appropriate for Government to intervene directly in this situation.
8. However, the Government recognise how important post offices are to their communities, and thus fully appreciates the impact a post office branch closure can have on a community. The Government-set access criteria ensure that however the network changes, services remain within local reach of all citizens. The access criteria ensure that 90% of the population are within one mile of their nearest post office branch and that 99% of the population are within three miles of their nearest post office branch.
9. Post Office Limited (POL) advise that the lease for the premises at 38 The Broadway, where Southall post office operates from, will soon expire. POL has decided not to renew the lease at the current premises and is inviting applications from local businesses to open a new branch in Southall. More information is available at: https://runapostoffice.co.uk/branch/southall-post-office-ub1-area-only?search_term=southall-greater-london
10. There are two nearby post offices, just over half a mile away, at Lady Margaret Road and Mount Pleasant, plus additional branches nearby at King Street and Western Road that will be able to meet the needs of customers who currently use the Southall branch.

Ceasefire and the state of Palestine

1. The petition of residents of the constituency of Glasgow East,
2. Declares that the attacks by Hamas on Israel on 7th October 2023 were acts of terror, and unequivocally condemns the taking of hostages and the loss of innocent lives in those attacks; further that the petitioners condemn the disproportionate response of the Israel Defence Forces, and affirms that there must be an end to the collective punishment of the Palestinian people; further declares for the urgent release of all hostages and an end to the siege of Gaza to allow vital supplies of food, fuel, medicine and water to reach the civilian population; further declares support for the calls by the United Nations and many other international actors for an immediate ceasefire on all sides of the conflict and supports the global consensus in support of a two-state solution with a sovereign, prosperous Palestinian state, living side by side with a safe and secure Israel; and notes the resolution of the House of Commons on 13th October 2014 calling on the UK Government to recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel.
3. The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to join with others in the international community in urgently pressing all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire, and to call on the UK Government to recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel.
4. And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by David Linden, Official Report, 6 February 2024; Vol. 745, c. 220.]

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