Tom Brake
Main Page: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)Yes. Labour Members seem to find the concept of an expanding, properly invested post office system a bit of a culture shock. They have got used to a decade of decline—they presided over it.
Does my right hon. Friend believe that he has created enough scope for post offices such as the one in Beddington, which shut a number of years ago, to be reopened? In what circumstances does he see new post offices opening?
As I say, investment capital availability ultimately comes down to the individual decision of individual postmasters. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr Redwood) pointed out, these are individual investment decisions, but the network will in future be put on a structurally sound, properly funded basis. That is the essence of the reforms that we are introducing.