EAST Lancashire Tory MP Nigel Evans is demanding that the £450million announced to help rural post offices goes to front line services to protect and enhance country branches.
The latest figures show that between March 2001 and March 2002, the most up-to-date figures, there have been 194 net closures of rural post offices. This figure comes from the most recent Postcom report.
Ribble Valley MP and Tory front bencher Mr Evans, said: "Rural post offices are an integral part of our rural way of life. Within the Ribble Valley and Fulwood we have seen post offices being forced to shut and their opening hours being curtailed, the most recent being in West Bradford.
"This £450million extra injection of funding, which comes at a time when Post Offices Limited, to the year ending March 2002, recorded a loss of £163million, is the first step in the right direction, but there is still much more needed to be done. Money alone is not the answer.
"With measures such as the introduction in April of benefits being paid directly into people's bank accounts, instead of over the post office counter, postmasters face a difficult future."
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