Current Petitions

The next petition for consideration is PE651, from Fergus Ewing MSP, on the review and closure of sub-post offices. Fergus Ewing is calling on the Parliament to obtain from the Post Office information relating to the review and closure of sub-post offices. His petition was prompted by his concerns about proposals to close Culduthel branch post office. He argued that that was likely to disadvantage, in particular, senior citizens and those with restricted mobility who relied on the wide range of services that the post office provided. Since the submission of the petition, the post office has closed, but Fergus Ewing's general concerns relating to the process for the review and closure of post offices remain.On 1 October 2003, we decided to write to the Post Office seeking confirmation of whether it would be willing to make available the information requested by Mr Ewing. A response has now been received. The Royal Mail provides details of the background to its network reinvention programme, together with details of the process that is followed in identifying potential closures, the consultation procedures that are followed when closure proposals are made and the impact that the programme has had in Scotland to date.Fergus Ewing has provided the clerks with a response to the petition. He says:"I thank Mr King for his response. However, the impression of my constituents many of whom complained about the closure of their PO was that the process of consultation had a pre-ordained conclusion. Mr King does not say how many POs in Scotland have applied under the scheme so far, nor whether, following the consultation … any in Scotland were saved from closure. My understanding is that none have been saved and all closed.Nor does he answer the criticism that the process adopted by the PO of providing for Postmasters or mistresses controlling the process may lead to large swathes of our towns and cities having no office at all.I thank the committee for considering this petition which may well be of relevance to other MSPs and constituencies."Do members have any comments?

No member of the committee will not have had or be about to have a local post office closed. I certainly fall into that category. A number of issues concern me. Fergus Ewing's point is valid. I do not know of the reprieve of any post office as the result of a campaign. I have run two such campaigns in my constituency and am about to start another.The six-week consultation period is also a matter of concern. Mr King says that the period has been extended from four weeks to six weeks, but that is still not very long. Last week, it was announced that two post offices in my constituency would close—in a six-week period leading up to the end of December. We all know what happens in the second half of December, so there will not really be a six-week consultation period. That may be a special case, but there are still questions to be asked. The difficulty is that we must deal with the petition as it stands. I am not satisfied that the closure programme is being handled with sufficient sensitivity to local needs.

I concur with Mike Watson. Similar things have happened in my constituency. From dealing with both the Post Office and Postwatch, I have the impression that they hear what is said but do not really listen to what communities are saying. I am inclined to support Mike Watson's view but, like him, I am not sure how we continue the petition. However, we must consider how we interact further with the Post Office. There is continued unhappiness with the Post Office, which is not hearing what MSPs are saying. Perhaps we should write back to it and say that. Would it be appropriate for us to do so?

I wonder whether it would. As Mike Watson said, every MSP must have some knowledge of a post office closing; there is certainly one closing in my constituency. However, the petition has highlighted the fact that the matter is reserved. Ultimately, responsibility for post offices lies with MPs. We can all support our colleagues in campaigns about post office closures, but can the committee do anything in respect of the strategy that the Royal Mail has adopted?

That is what we did and we received a response. It is fair to say that Fergus Ewing is disappointed with the response, but I think that he is resigned to the fact that his post office closed and he has thanked the committee for taking up the petition. We have written to the Post Office, received a reply and had the information provided in relation to Fergus Ewing's petition—he has thanked us for taking up the matter on his behalf. What more can we do?

We should close the petition, but pass the information to our colleagues at Westminster, because they need to be informed about the disappointment felt throughout communities.

To whom at Westminster would we send the information? Do we write to every MP? I really do not know what to do.

We could send the information to the chair of the appropriate committee. You and the clerk could identify which would be the appropriate committee. Committees at Westminster carry out inquiries into such matters, but I do not know where they are with their inquiries at the moment.

I do not have any difficulty with doing that, if we can identify the appropriate committee.

We could write back to Mr King and send him a copy of the Official Report of our consideration of the petition. He would then be aware of the concerns that we are raising. Are members happy with that?Members indicated agreement.