Written Question · S1W-30600 · Session 1
What assessment it has made of the economic impact over the next five years on sub-post offices of the removal of benefit and allowance pay…
The question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the economic impact over the next five years on sub-post offices of the removal of benefit and allowance payments; if it has made no such assessment, what plans it has to commission one; what information it holds on what the estimated number of sub-post offices over this period will be, and how many there were in each of the last five years.
The answer
Consignia, post offices and postal services are reserved to the UK Government. The Performance and Innovation Unit's report Counter Revolution: Modernising the Post Office Network (June 2000) showed that the future viability of the network was challenged by the introduction of automated credit transfer. The Department of Trade and Industry are concentrating on supporting the Post Office's efforts to build up new business opportunities, including universal banking services, in order to mitigate the effects of the move to automated credit transfer.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S1W-30600 by reference.