Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer 5 June 2019 of Question 257667 on National Federation of SubPostmasters, if he will clarify what is meant by operational matter.

The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.

As stated previously, while the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The number of postmasters accessing NFSP services is a matter for Post Office Limited, as they are responsible for the day-to-day management of the company.