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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of post office closures on vulnerable older customers.

The Government understands the important role post offices play in communities across the country, especially to its more vulnerable customers like the elderly. Thanks to Government investment the UK’s network of 11,600 branches is at its most stable in decades. The investment is offering real improvements to customers, including an extra 200,000 opening hours every week and over 4,200 post offices open on a Sunday.

The Post Office’s Annual Network Report for 2015/16 shows that 92% of the UK population over 65 live within 1 mile of a post office, and over 99% within 3 miles. Wide coverage across the UK shows that the Post Office is accessible for all. The report was laid in Parliament on Monday 20 February and can be accessed from the Post Office’s website: http://corporate.postoffice.co.uk/sites/default/files/networkreport2016.pdf.