Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions the Minister of State for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business has had with Post Office Ltd on the decision to reduce the remuneration period for subpostmasters with Hard to Place post offices; and what steps he is taking to ensure sufficient compensation and support for affected subpostmasters during the transition period.

I and my officials meet regularly with Post Office Ltd to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest, including Hard to Place Postmasters. I also chair a regular working group between the National Federation of SubPostmasters and Post Office to discuss a range of issues affecting postmasters.

Whilst the level of compensation offered to Hard to Place postmasters represents a commercial matter for Post Office to determine, the Government supports Post Office Limited's attempts to resolve the situation. The previous situation was more detrimental to all parties involved as individuals were holding on, as they had for a number of years already, in the hope that they would get compensation that might not have materialised.