The Petition of People of Acton,
Declares that we the undersigned strongly object to the planned closure of our local Post Office
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to ask Post Office Limited to reconsider their plans to force the Petitioners to use the inadequate facilities in the Main Post Office on King Street, W3
And the Petitioners remain, etc. [Presented by Mr. Andy Slaughter , Official Report, 29 April 2008; Vol. 475, c. 276 .] [P000185]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform :
The Government fully recognises the important social and economic role of post offices, particularly in rural and deprived urban communities. That is why it is determined to maintain a national post office network, allowing people to have reasonable access across the whole country, and why it has put in place a new policy and financial framework to achieve this. The Government has been investing substantial sums in the post office network, totalling £2 billion since 1999. That has, for example, paid for a computer link-up for every post office, as well as support for non-commercial branches since 2003.
In its response to the consultation on the Post Office network, the Government announced, in May 2007, confirmation of its decision to extend funding of up to £1.7 billion to 2011, including provision of a £150 million Social Network Payment to support the post office network up to this time. The Government strategy includes provision for 2,500 compensated closures and 500 new Outreach services.
The 500 new and innovative Outreach locations, operated in partnership with other local services (such as pubs, village halls, churches and mobile post offices), will mitigate closures, primarily in smaller and more remote communities. Post Office Limited (POL) announced on 9 April that it will extend Outreach trials into urban areas which, if successful, could mean additional Outreach branches over and above the 500 originally planned. Nevertheless, there will need to be up to 2,500 compensated post office closures within the defined access criteria.
POL is responsible for implementing the network change programme at a local level. It is developing a rolling programme of some 50 local consultations on detailed area plans, based on groups of Parliamentary constituencies. The first area plans went out to local consultation on 2 October last year, and these plans will continue to be rolled out at regular intervals until August, with the whole programme scheduled to take around 15 months to complete. The consultation period for London has finished and POL has published its Area Plan Decision Booklet on its website, confirming
the closure of the Churchfield Road Post Office branch in W3. The Bollo Bridge Road branch has been submitted for further review. Details of the closures and further review are available on the POL website at www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange.
POL develops its proposals with the participation of sub-postmasters, local authorities and the consumer watchdog, Postwatch. It takes into account the numeric access criteria set out by Government, as well as local factors affecting ease of access, such as local geography (rivers, mountains etc), when drawing up its implementation plans. POL is also required to consider the availability of public transport and alternative access to key post office services, local demographics and the impact on the local economy. Local consultations provide the opportunity to raise any specific concerns over particular proposals.
The Government does not have a role in proposals or decisions for individual post offices. No decisions on individual Post Offices are taken until after local consultations. Those decisions are made by POL in light of the responses to the consultation, while subject to a four-stage appeals process involving Postwatch. The Review Process for closure decisions after public consultation process applies where Postwatch shows that, for an individual branch:
POL has not given due consideration to material evidence received during the public consultation in coming to its decision; or
evidence emerges from the consultation that the proposal for the branch does not meet the Governments policy requirements.
The aim of the further review process is for POL and Postwatch to reach an agreed way forward by bilateral review, with 3 stages available at increasing levels of seniority. An addition to the review process last November provides for very difficult cases which remain unresolved after stage 3. At this final stage, the Chairman of the Royal Mail Group will review the issues and reach a final decision.
The Petition of those concerned about the proposed closures of the Sub Post Offices, in the East Londonderry Constituency,
Declares that the importance of these Post Offices to the local community
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to instruct Post Office Ltd. to keep these Post Offices open
And the Petitioners remain, etc. [Presented by Mr. Gregory Campbell , Official Report, 22 April 2008; Vol. 474, c. 1285 .] [P000174]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform :
The Government fully recognises the important social and economic role of post offices, particularly in rural and deprived urban communities. That is why it is determined to maintain a national post office network, allowing people to have reasonable access across the whole country, and why it has put in place a new policy and financial framework to achieve this. The Government has been investing substantial sums in the post office network, totalling £2 billion since 1999. That has, for
example, paid for a computer link-up for every post office, as well as support for non-commercial branches since 2003.
In its response to the consultation on the Post Office network, the Government announced, in May 2007, confirmation of its decision to extend funding of up to £1.7 billion to 2011, including provision of a £150 million Social Network Payment to support the post office network up to 2011. The Government strategy includes provision for 2,500 compensated closures and 500 new Outreach services.
The 500 new and innovative Outreach locations, operated in partnership with other local services (such as pubs, village halls, churches and mobile post offices), will mitigate closures, primarily in smaller and more remote communities. Post Office Limited (POL) announced on 9 April that it will extend Outreach trials into urban areas which, if successful, could mean additional Outreach branches over and above the 500 originally planned. Nevertheless, there will need to be up to 2,500 compensated post office closures within the defined access criteria.
POL is responsible for implementing the network change programme at a local level. It is developing a rolling programme of some 50 local consultations on detailed area plans, based on groups of parliamentary constituencies. The first area plans went out to local consultation on 2 October last year and these plans will continue to be rolled out at regular intervals until August, with the whole programme scheduled to take around 15 months to complete. The consultation period for Northern Ireland, including the East Londonderry constituency,has finished and POL has published its Area Plan Decision Booklets on its website.
Having considered all representations and the criteria for the network change programme, POL has confirmed the closure of the Bolea, Cloyfin, Drumraighland and Milburn Post Office branches in East Londonderry.
POL develops its proposals with the participation of sub-postmasters, local authorities and the consumer watchdog, Postwatch. It takes into account the numeric access criteria set out by Government, as well as local factors affecting ease of access (such as local geography), when drawing up its implementation plans. POL is also required to consider the availability of public transport and alternative access to key post office services, local demographics and the impact on the local economy. Local consultations provide the opportunity to raise any specific concerns over particular proposals.
The Government does not have a role in proposals or decisions for individual post offices. No decisions on individual Post Offices are taken until after local consultations. Those decisions are made by POL in light of the responses to the consultation, while subject to a four-stage appeals process involving Postwatch. The Review Process for closure decisions after public consultation process applies where Postwatch shows that, for an individual branch:
POL has not given due consideration to material evidence received during the public consultation in coming to its decision; or
evidence emerges from the consultation that the proposal for the branch does not meet the Governments policy requirements.
The aim of the further review process is for POL and Postwatch to reach an agreed way forward by bilateral review, with 3 stages available at increasing levels of seniority. An addition to the review process last November provides for very difficult cases which remain unresolved
after stage 3. At this final stage, the Chairman of Royal Mail Group will review the issues and reach a final decision.
The Petition of residents of the village of Great Bridgeford in the Parish of Seighford and surrounding areas in the County of Stafford against the closure of their rural Post Office,
Declares that the supporters recognise the importance of the Post Office and shop to their community, which they depend on as the only retail outlet in the village of Great Bridgeford and oppose the current closure plan.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to instruct Post Office Ltd. to keep Great Bridgeford Post Office open.
And the Petitioners remain, etc. [Presented by Mr. David Kidney , Official Report, 17 June 2008; Vol. 477, c. 917 .] [P000214]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform :
The Government fully recognises the important social and economic role of post offices, particularly in rural and deprived urban communities. That is why it is determined to maintain a national post office network, allowing people to have reasonable access across the whole country, and why it has put in place a new policy and financial framework to achieve this. The Government has been investing substantial sums in the post office network, totalling £2 billion since 1999. That has, for example, paid for a computer link-up for every post office, as well as support for non-commercial branches since 2003.
In its response to the consultation on the Post Office network, the Government announced, in May 2007, confirmation of its decision to extend funding of up to £1.7 billion to 2011, including provision of a £150 million Social Network Payment to support the post office network up to this time. The Government strategy includes provision for 2,500 compensated closures and 500 new Outreach services.
The 500 new and innovative Outreach locations, operated in partnership with other local services (such as pubs, village halls, churches and mobile post offices), will mitigate closures. Primarily in smaller and more remote communities. Post Office Limited (POL) announced on 9 April that it will extend Outreach trials into urban areas which, if successful, could mean additional Outreach branches over and above the 500 originally planned. Nevertheless, there will need to be up to 2,500 compensated post office closures within the defined access criteria.
POL is responsible for implementing the network change programme at a local level. It is developing a rolling programme of some 50 local consultations on detailed area plans, based on groups of Parliamentary constituencies. The first area plans went out to local consultation on 2 October last year and these plans will continue to be rolled out at regular intervals until August, with the whole programme scheduled to take around 15 months to complete. The consultation period for Shropshire and Staffordshire, including the Stafford constituency, finished on 9 June. Having considered all representations and the criteria for the network change programme, POL have confirmed that Great Bridgeford
Post Office is to close. Details of the closures and any further reviews will be available on the POL website at www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange.
POL develops its proposals with the participation of sub-postmasters, local authorities and the consumer watchdog, Postwatch. It takes into account the numeric access criteria set out by Government, as well as local factors affecting ease of access, such as local geography, when drawing up its implementation plans. POL is also required to consider the availability of public transport and alternative access to key post office services, local demographics and the impact on the local economy. Local consultations provide the opportunity to raise any specific concerns over particular proposals.
The Government does not have a role in proposals or decisions for individual post offices. No decisions on individual Post Offices are taken until after local consultations. Those decisions are made by POL in light of the responses to the consultation, while subject to a four-stage appeals process involving Postwatch. The Review Process for closure decisions after public consultation process applies where Postwatch shows that, for an individual branch:
POL has not given due consideration to material evidence received during the public consultation in coming to its decision; or
evidence emerges from the consultation that the proposal for the branch does not meet the Governments policy requirements.
The aim of the further review process is for POL and Postwatch to reach an agreed way forward by bilateral review, with 3 stages available at increasing levels of seniority. An addition to the review process last November provides for very difficult cases which remain unresolved after stage 3. At this final stage, the Chairman of the Royal Mail Group will review the issues and reach a final decision.
The Petition of residents of Cornwall,
Declares that Cornwall should have its own Network Region on Facebook. Cornwall possesses one of the world's oldest natural borders, its own language and flag, and a population of 500,000 people. We therefore believe that the owners of Facebook should now recognise this by introducing the Cornwall Network region.
The Petitioner therefore requests that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for of Culture, Media and Sport to put pressure on the owners of Facebook to grant Cornwall network region status.
And the Petitioners remain, etc., [Presented by Julia Goldsworthy , Official Report, 14 May 2008; Vol. 1510, c. 475 .] [P000193]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport :
The Government recognise the proud cultural heritage of Cornwall, and notes the desire amongst a number of its inhabitants for the creation of a network region for Cornwall on Facebook.
Facebook is a private company, which describes itself as a social utility that helps people communicate more efficiently with their friends, family and colleagues. The company claims to develop technologies that facilitate the sharing of information through online mapping of peoples real-world social connections. It is responsible for the creation and maintenance of all Facebook networks.
As such, the creation of Cornwall as a regional network is a matter for Facebook, not for Government.
Index | Home Page |