Lisa Nandy
Main Page: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Jo Swinson
I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. The figures speak for themselves. If we look at the number of post offices that have been in place over the past decade or so, the network is at its most stable for many, many years, and the Government are absolutely committed to maintaining that. Although the post office network must change, the answer is not to cull it but to support it.
Lisa Nandy (Wigan) (Lab)
The Minister has repeatedly said that the post office network is at its most sustainable for years, but that is not a picture that many people in Wigan and across the country—or I—would recognise. Government business to the post office network has fallen by 7% over the past year, and the National Federation of SubPostmasters says that we need
“a determined and co-ordinated effort across Government to provide a wide range of services through the post office network”.
Where is it?
Jo Swinson
The numbers in the post office network are at their most stable for decades and, as I say, the facts speak for themselves. Government services are an important part of post office income, but they are not the only part, because that is not the way to achieve a secure future for post offices. They need a diverse range of income streams, including mails and financial services.
As for where the Government work is, we have heard today that the post office card account, or its successor, will continue through the post office network, which is welcome. Last year, the Post Office competed for the framework contract for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and won, and that framework contract will allow further contracts to be put through, as indeed was the case with the UK Passport Service work earlier this year.
I am not for a second trying to suggest that things are easy for sub-postmasters. Things are not easy, and they have not been easy, in these difficult economic times. We recognise that, which is why we have enhanced the packages available to make them more attractive and make sure that sub-postmasters have more opportunity either to make the choice if they wish to leave the network or enable them to continue and invest in their business, get more customers through the door and build a thriving retail business.