Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the continued availability of in-person post office services in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The Government protects the sustainability of the branch network in South Holland and the Deepings and Lincolnshire, by providing funding on the basis that Post Office meets minimum access criteria to ensure that, across the country, 99% of the population live within three miles of their nearest Post Office. The Government works to ensure Post Office Limited maintains a minimum number of branches and a geographical spread of branches in line with the published access criteria. Along with the annual £50 million subsidy, we are providing a further £37.5 million this year to safeguard services in the uncommercial parts of the network.