Rural Postal Services: Sustainability Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Business and Trade
Jim Shannon
Main Page: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)Department Debates - View all Jim Shannon's debates with the Department for Business and Trade
Rural Postal Services: Sustainability
Jim Shannon Excerpts(6 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the hon. Gentleman for bringing this forward. It is more than just post offices; it is about rural communities. Does he agree that isolated communities rely heavily on a reliable, frequent service, and investment should be made to ensure that daily deliveries, as the postie does his rounds in our rural constituencies, are not a bonus but are a standard? Would he join me in thanking posties and delivery personnel who carry out this vital service on difficult roads in difficult conditions at the right time for us all?
Jamie Stone
Again, a very good intervention; I completely agree. I have described a success story, for which I thank the Post Office for seeing that it happened. Now I turn to a more difficult situation. On the north coast of Sutherland, in my constituency, there are two local post offices at villages called Melvich and Bettyhill. They are now worried about their viability.
Jamie Stone
I will say in passing that I am very considerably encouraged by the number of interventions. It leaves me in very good heart.
Jamie Stone
Perhaps I asked for that one.
As I said, there are ways of keeping the post offices open. Getting rid of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency services is absolutely not one of them.