Urgent need to stop Post Office decline - Jo
May 23, 2006 6:15 PM
Jo is seeking to halt further Post Office closures in East Dunbartonshire
New figures obtained by Jo Swinson MP chart falling Post Office numbers over the past ten years, and show a drastic increase in their decline since 2003.
The figures, produced by the House of Commons Library, show a network of 19,607 Post Offices in 1994/95 declining to just 14,609 by 2004/05.
Commenting on the new research, Jo Swinson MP said:
"UK-wide, the number of Post Offices has fallen by 24% over the past ten years. More Post Offices closed in the two years between 2003 and 2005 than in the previous 8 years combined. These closures simply cannot be allowed to continue year on year - urgent action must be taken to stabilise the Post Office network and halt further damage being done.
"Scotland has lost over 10% of its Post Offices in the past five years. This will be a familiar story to people in East Dunbartonshire, who have seen closures in Auchinairn, Killermont, Kessington and Westerton.
"The Postcard Petition to save local Post Offices that I launched last month has so far had a fantastic response. Large numbers of people have been picking up the cards in their local Post Office and returning them to me, to express their dismay at the Government's neglect of the Post Office network, and in particular their decision to axe Post Office Card Accounts.
"People clearly want the Post Office to have a secure future, but these figures will do nothing to reassure them that the Government shares their wishes."
Jo's Postcard Petition is being run in conjunction with all sub-Post Offices within East Dunbartonshire constituency. Postcards are available in each Post Office to complete and return to Jo.
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