MPs call for banking hubs to sell stamps to counter Post Office closures

Banking hubs should connection postal services to compensate for the closure of crown Post Office branches, MPs person said, arsenic they criticised however the projected shutting of sites has been handled.

The Commons heard that immoderate banking hubs, tally by the Post Office, had spaces to connection other services but their remit had not been extended.

It came amid months wherever banks person announced the closure of precocious thoroughfare branches, the Post Office said it could unopen 115 of its Government-owned crown branches, and WH Smith, which is liable for moving immoderate Post Office franchises, announced it was putting 500 of its precocious thoroughfare stores up for sale.

They already person Post Office tills, Post Office systems, and they're tally by postmasters, they're staffed by Post Office staff

Gideon Amos, Liberal Democrat MP

Banking hubs were acceptable up by the erstwhile Conservative authorities to antagonistic the dwindling fig of precocious thoroughfare banks, but the statement betwixt banks – who money the inaugural – and the Post Office does not let them to connection postal services.

Liberal Democrat MP Gideon Amos (Taunton and Wellington) said offering much services could assistance support people’s entree to currency and enactment the postal service.

He told the statement connected the aboriginal of section station offices: “There’s an evident and straightforward solution.

“We should beryllium allowing banking hubs to connection postal services. There’s nary cardinal crushed wherefore they can’t. They already person Post Office tills, Post Office systems, and they’re tally by postmasters, they’re staffed by Post Office staff.

“Even the 1 successful Wellington has 2 banking desks and a abstraction for a 3rd desk… a station bureau would beryllium a precise bully candidate.”

Mr Amos added: “There are 76 banking hubs successful the UK. We could importantly summation proviso of station offices astatine precise small cost.”

He continued: “Post offices are excessively important to beryllium near to uncertainty. Government indispensable enactment present to safeguard these captious institutions, ensuring that towns similar Wellington and truthful galore much bash not stay without indispensable services.”

Conservative MP Rebecca Smith (South West Devon) said: “There is the enactment of banking hubs, and evidently the enactment of the Conservative authorities to trailblaze this modern solution for communities has helped remarkably.”

The caller announcement by WH Smith, which hosts astir 200 Post Office counters, has raised concerns astir whether third-party takeovers genuinely are a semipermanent solution

Alex Mayer, Labour MP

Ms Smith added: “There’s intelligibly an appetite, there’s intelligibly a need. But it doesn’t marque consciousness to the nationalist that you transportation up, it says Post Office outside, but you can’t adjacent bargain a stamp inside.”

Labour MP Alex Mayer (Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard) raised the contented of WH Smith’s projected sale.

Ms Smith had earlier told MPs Plymstock had mislaid a franchised station bureau erstwhile Morrisons closed its convenience store outlets, including successful her constituency.

Ms Mayer said: “The caller announcement by WH Smith, which hosts astir 200 Post Office counters, has raised concerns astir whether third-party takeovers genuinely are a semipermanent solution.”

Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael said the past crown subdivision successful his Orkney and Shetland constituency was listed for closure, and said the Post Office’s behaviour had been a “disgrace”.

He said: “It has been wholly lacking successful respect for their ain employees and the communities that they are determination to serve.

“At a clip wherever you would person hoped that the Post Office mightiness beryllium consenting oregon wanting to show a alteration of civilization for reasons that volition beryllium evident enough, to spot them inactive behaving successful this way, successful my community, makes maine deliberation each the good words astir changed civilization wrong the apical of the Post Office are simply weasel words and perfectly meaningless.”

I person made wide to the Post Office that determination indispensable beryllium discussions with unions and different cardinal stakeholders

Gareth Thomas, Post Office curate

Reform UK MP Richard Tice (Boston and Skegness) said station offices supply a enactment web for susceptible and isolated people, and said pubs could location branches.

Mr Tice told the Commons: “If idiosyncratic doesn’t look connected their regular day, their timely slot, they mightiness conscionable say, ‘where’s Mrs Smith’, and that’s a massively important portion of our communities.

“And so, it’s not conscionable astir money, it’s astir the plus worth wrong that assemblage of what station offices springiness us.”

Conservative shadiness commercialized curate Dame Harriett Baldwin said: “Labour’s fund of breached promises is threatening the network. Whether it’s the nationalist security jobs tax, the hike successful concern rates, oregon the incoming employment regulations, Labour are hiking the outgo of doing business.”

Post Office curate Gareth Thomas said: “I cognize determination is interest astir the aboriginal of DMBs (directly managed branches), I deliberation it’s important present to underline that nary definitive decisions person been taken connected the aboriginal of immoderate idiosyncratic straight managed branch.

“I person made wide to the Post Office that determination indispensable beryllium discussions with unions and different cardinal stakeholders, and I’m pleased to perceive that the Post Office has seen affirmative engagement from autarkic postmasters and strategical partners who person expressed their involvement successful taking connected DMBs.”