Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what information his Department holds on the number of Post Office branches that have (a) closed and (b) been put at risk because their host retailer has ceased trading in each of the last five years.

The Government sets requirements for the Post Office network, including minimum geographical access criteria and the overall size of the network. The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade regularly monitors Post Office's performance against these requirements and Post Office publishes an annual Network Report setting out its performance against them. The department does not routinely receive information on branches that have closed, or been put at risk because a host retailer has ceased trading. However, Post Office keeps the department informed where there may be a larger number of closures or branches at risk of closure.