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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in each month since May 2005, (1) what was the total size of the Post Office network, and (2) how many post office closures took place.

I am pleased to say that branches open an extra 200,000 hours a week since the start of the Post Office’s transformation programme and customer satisfaction with the network is high.

Management and provision of the Post Office network is the operational responsibility of the Post Office. I have asked Paula Vennells, the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the noble Baroness on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.