Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many of each post office branch type have been temporarily closed in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) each region of England as of (i) 31 March 2020 and (ii) since 1 April 2020.

The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK.

While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. As such, the number of Post Offices which are temporarily closed across the UK is an operational matter for Post Office Limited.