Tom Brake
Main Page: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington) Vince Cable
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Vince Cable 
        
    
        
    
        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.
 Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD)
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD) 
        
    
        
    
        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?
 Vince Cable
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Vince Cable 
        
    
        
    
        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.