Service provision in the event of post office closures
This is a debate pack produced by the House of Commons Library ahead of the debate on service provision in the event of post office closures to be held on Tuesday 1 December 2015 at 4.30pm in Westminster Hall. The Member in charge of the debate is Mr Huw Merriman.
In return for funding for transformation and modernisation, the Post Office is committed to investing in the network, and maintaining a network of around 11,500 branches – there were 11,634 branches at the end of March 2015.
Post Offices are sometimes closed temporarily. In some cases this has been due to problems associated with network transformation – for example the planned future home of a post office becoming unavailable. In other cases, reasons are unconnected with transformation – for example where there isn't anyone who can take on the running of the branch when the incumbent resigns. When a branch closes in such circumstances, the Post Office should communicate the situation to the local community and stakeholders, and they say they will work to see if they can arrange a re-opening of the facility, where this is feasible.