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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Post Office on the level of government investment in the Post Office and its profitability.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regularly engages with the Post Office on issues affecting the network including on the levels of investment, its overall profitability and thus sustainability. During the period 2010 to 2018, nearly £2bn of Government investment will have been provided to help maintain and protect a network of at least 11,500 post offices across the country with coverage in line with national access criteria, and to invest in modernisation and transformation of that network.