Chris urges MPs to support motion to save post offices

Chris Skidmore, the prospective MP for Kingswood, has written to Roger Berry MP to urge him to sign the Early Day Motion on Post Office Closures, and to participate in the Conservative organised debate on Post Offices in Parliament on Wednesday 19 March, which seeks to suspend the closures.

On Wednesday 19th March the Conservative Party has arranged a debate and vote in Parliament to suspend the closure programme, on the basis that the consultation process has been flawed; that the access criteria (which are used to decide which ones will close) have been badly drawn up; and that more emphasis should be given to finding new business to keep post offices open, rather than simply managing the decline of the network.

The EDM is below and a copy of Chris' letter to Roger Berry is attached.

EDM 997

POST OFFICE CLOSURES
21.02.2008

Evans, Nigel (Con)
That this House regrets the proposal to close up to 2,500 post offices; recognises the seminal role post offices play in local communities; notes the unpopularity amongst the general public of closing such a large portion of the network; has concerns that the access criteria laid down for the closures consultation do not adequately take into account local geographical factors and public transport networks; is concerned that the consultation period is only scheduled to last for six weeks rather than three months; and believes that options for business expansion which may have helped individual post offices to remain open should be explored further.
Chris said: 'I hope that all our local MPs will participate in the debate on Wednesday and support the Conservative led motion to save our post offices. This entire consultation process is flawed and should be suspended and the government needs to think again about the devastating effect these closures will have upon communities and the most vulnerable'.

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