Post Office Closures - 19th Mar, 2008

Sian James made comments following the debate in the Commons on Post Office Closures

"I have actively campaigned on post office issues. I have met the Minister for Postal Services and made my points to him personally. He made it clear to me that there would be no Government involvement in the day-to-day running of the Post Office and that it was a standalone business which had to be financially viable.

"He said that Post Office closures are happening because as a society we no longer use the Post Office as we once did. The network has lost some 4 million customers a week in the past few years and network losses run at around £3.5m a week.

I expressed my concerns at this approach, as many people consider the post office to be a national institution. I will continue to work closely with local people, postmasters and the trade unions, to ensure that Swansea gets the best deal possible."