Oral Answers to Questions

Hugh Gaffney Excerpts

Tuesday 20th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Richard Harrington]

I am very aware of the hon. Gentleman’s point. Only last week, I met with Hilton Hotels and Resorts, a big employer in this sector, while the Grove, in my own constituency, has raised exactly the same point. The industry has a high turnover of labour and, as he says, has depended for some time on labour from abroad. I hope that more UK people will enter the hotel and hospitality industry, but the fact is that in many areas there is almost full employment.

[Hugh Gaffney (Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill) (Lab)]

8. What discussions his Department has had with representatives of the Post Office on its plans to close 74 Crown offices.

[James Frith (Bury North) (Lab)]

21. What discussions his Department has had with representatives of the Post Office on plans to close 74 Crown post offices. [R]

--- Later in debate ---

[Hugh Gaffney]

I am a proud member of the Communication Workers Union and a former postal worker. The Minister has said in written answers to Members that the privatisation of the Post Office is a commercial decision for the Post Office and that the Government only set the strategic direction. Nevertheless, the Post Office has decided to privatise these Crown branches and is using tens of millions of pounds of public money to bankroll it. This is a disgraceful situation. When will the Government start exercising some basic financial oversight?

[Kelly Tolhurst]

I am sorry, but I entirely disagree with the hon. Gentleman. We have no closure programmes. I should add that under Labour’s management of the Post Office its network shrank by 37%, which resulted in 7,000 closures, and that in the first five years of Labour Government the Post Office went from being in profit to having losses of more than £1 billion.