Business of the House Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Leader of the House

Business of the House

Henry Smith Excerpts
Thursday 1st November 2018

(5 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Andrea Leadsom Portrait Andrea Leadsom
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I understand that the matter was discussed in yesterday’s Budget debate and there will be further opportunities today. As I made clear last week in business questions, the Post Office does not intend to reduce the number of available post offices. It is changing the way those resources work. For many communities, the post office provides more flexible opening hours and is therefore quite helpful in providing banking and post office services.

Henry Smith Portrait Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)
- Hansard - -

In recent weeks, Govia Thameslink Railway has started allowing those who provide ATM machines at their stations to charge about £2. May we have a debate on charging for use of ATMs, as local communities often have no other choice?

Andrea Leadsom Portrait Andrea Leadsom
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his question and I am really sorry to hear about this—I am sure that it is extremely frustrating for his commuters. This is, of course, a commercial matter between Govia Thameslink Railway, the ATM operator and the ATM network provider, but he might like to apply for an Adjournment debate to raise the issue more widely and see whether Transport Ministers can do anything more about it.