Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress he has made on making the Post Office a front office for Government; and if he will make a statement.

The Post Office is the largest provider of counter-based Government services in the UK. In 2013 it won a cross-Government framework contract which allows all Government Departments and their Executive Agencies to contract with the Post Office easily and cheaply. Key contracts with the DVLA and the Passport Office have been moved onto this new framework, as has the Post Office Card Account contract which has been extended to at least 2021.

The Post Office is well-placed to bid for and win important contracts, with its extensive geographic reach and key role in the heart of communities. Government cannot simply award contracts to the Post Office; services must be procured competitively to ensure value for taxpayers’ money.