Asked by: Lord Lisvane (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether funding will be made available to prevent Post Office closures and to maintain the network at its present size.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Government recognises the importance of Post Offices to communities, which is why the Government committed in its manifesto to safeguard the Post Office network. Since 2010, due to the Government’s significant investment of nearly £2 billion, the network has been at its most stable for decades with over 11,600 branches.
The Government accepts that the Post Office will require additional funding in the future.
We are still in discussions on this and will make an announcement in due course.
Asked by: Lord Lisvane (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what their policy is towards the commencement of the Easter Act 1928.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
The Easter Act 1928 would set the date for Easter to fall on the Sunday that follows the second Saturday in April (i.e. between 9 and 15 April). The Act has not been brought into force. To do so would require an Order in Council, with the approval of both Houses of Parliament. The Act requires that, before the Order is made, “regard shall be had to any opinion officially expressed by any Church or other Christian Body." If the Christian churches were to agree on moving to a fixed date for Easter then the Government would consider, depending on what date is agreed, whether to bring into force the Easter Act 1928 or to make such other legislative provision as may be needed.