LESS THAN 1000 POST OFFICE LEFT IN WALES - WILLIAMS

12.00.41pm GMT Tue 2nd Feb 2010

Roger Williams, MP for Brecon and Radnorshire and Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Wales has today warned that the Government's Post Office closure programme is destroying the Welsh Post Office network.

His comments came after a Parliamentary Question revealed that the number of Post Office in Wales has dipped below 1000 for the first time. Information for 2008/2009 shows only 971 Post Office operating in Wales. Since 2003 over 300 Post Office have closed, most of them in rural areas.

While most areas still have a Post Office within a three mile radius of them, this is often too far away for people in rural areas to travel, especially if they do not own a car and rely on local bus services.

The figures also show that Welsh Post Offices have been closing at a far faster rate than in other areas of the UK with a 13% reduction in Post offices in Wales last year compared to 12.3% in England, 9.75% in Scotland and only 7.61% in Northern Ireland.

Speaking today Roger Williams said:

"I do not believe that less than 1000 Post Office can be expected to provide a proper local service across the whole of Wales and I am deeply disappointed that Wales is being hit so hard by the closure programme.

"I know from speaking to people in Brecon and Radnorshire that many already find it difficult to get to their local Post Office and I am really concerned that older or disabled people may now struggle to get there at all, cutting them off from this vital local service.

"These figures clearly show that Wales' Post Office network is being seriously damaged by the Government's ill-judged closure programme. We need to end this ridiculous scheme and ensure that the Post Office is given the support and funding it needs to maintain a proper service throughout Wales."

NOTES: Attached is the letter from Alan Cook, Managing Director of the Post Office, in response to Mr Williams' Parliamentary Question, which contains information referred to in the release.