Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of opening Post Office branches within Banking Hubs.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Thousands of Post Offices already provide the same everyday banking services, such as cash withdrawals and deposits, that are available at Banking Hubs. In its published response to the Government’s Post Office Green Paper, Post Office recently set out how it could enhance its banking offer by accommodating community bankers within larger post offices. This would enable customers to access support for more complex services available via community bankers at Banking Hubs.
Government would welcome further collaboration between Post Office and the banking sector and will be convening a roundtable to discuss opportunities for future potential collaboration.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using post offices to (a) onboard and (b) support people impacted by (i) identity and (ii) digital exclusion in the context of mandatory digital identity.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government will launch a full public consultation on the design of the new Digital ID, and have already started to engage with a range of expert organisations.
At the heart of this will be the largest ever digital inclusion programme ever delivered in this country, to ensure everyone can access this new free ID and benefit from it.
We are considering options like a digitally enabled physical alternative for those without access to technology, as well as in-person onboarding support for those who struggle to engage digitally. This may include Post Offices but that decision has not yet been made and will depend on several different factors.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many post offices there are in each (a) constituency and (b) local authority area by (i) location, (ii) rurality and (iii) type of post office.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Post Office Limited publishes monthly data on the number of branches trading across the UK, including their locations and rurality. The latest dataset, covering September 2025, is available on the Post Office Limited’s website at: 2025-september-network-numbers-online-list-v2.xlsx
Post Office Limited’s most recent annual Network Report includes data on branch types. You can access it here: network-report-2024-final-5.pdf.
Parliamentarians can find data on branch locations by constituency in the House of Commons Library.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of creating a dedicated form of business rates relief for post offices.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has no plans to introduce a targeted business rates relief for post offices.
However, as set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government will introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with ratable values below £500,000, including post offices, from 2026/27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that eligible post offices benefit from much-needed certainty and support.
Post offices are also eligible for 40 per cent RHL relief up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business in 2025/26. They are also eligible for 100 per cent rural rate relief if they meet certain conditions.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of Post Office services on rural communities.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Post Office services are vital to rural communities, providing access to mail, cash, banking, bill payments, and government services. Around 41% of branches are in rural areas, and 99% of the rural population lives within three miles of a branch. The Government supports the rural network with targeted funding and access criteria, recognising its role in tackling social isolation and supporting local businesses. The Department for Business and Trade continues to monitor the impact of network changes and works closely with Post Office Ltd to ensure rural communities retain convenient access to essential services.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's Green Paper: Future of Post Office, published on 14 July 2025, what progress the Department has made in hosting discussions between Post Office and the banking sector on Post Office cash and banking services.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury and I plan to co-chair a roundtable with the Post Office and key banks. This will provide an opportunity to discuss where future potential collaboration, on a commercial and voluntary basis, may be in the interests of both parties. This will take place in due course.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support older people experiencing (a) emotional and (b) financial hardship in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to supporting pensioners and ensuring they have financial security and dignity in retirement.
The State Pension remains the foundation of our support for pensioners. In April this year, both the basic and new State Pensions increased by 4.1%, benefitting over 12 million pensioners by up to £470. And our commitment to maintain the Triple Lock – helping to raise over time the value of the State Pension – for the entirety of this Parliament will see pensioners’ yearly incomes rising by up to £1,900.
Pension Credit continues to provide vital financial support for pensioners who, for whatever reason, find themselves on a low income. It was introduced by the last Labour Government specifically to help pensioners in financial hardship. It does this by guaranteeing a minimum level of income – called the Standard Minimum Guarantee – which was also increase by 4.1% in April to £227.10 week for a single pensioner or £346.40 week for a couple.
Receipt of Pension Credit also opens the door to other financial support, including Housing Benefit, Council Tax support and help with NHS costs as well as help with fuel bills and a free TV licence for those over 75. That is why we continue to promote Pension Credit across the whole of Great Britain, including to eligible pensioners and their family and friends in Surrey Heath. Our ongoing campaign features adverts on television and radio; on social media and on digital screens in GP surgeries and Post Offices, as well as in the press.
DWP’s visiting service can also provide face-to-face support for vulnerable individuals with complex needs, ensuring they can access services—especially when they may have no one else to support them.
The Household Support Fund remains available for those facing financial hardship, with funding extended to March 2026.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that pensioners who retired before April 2016 do not fall into poverty.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to supporting pensioners and ensuring they have financial security and dignity in retirement.
The State Pension remains the foundation of our support for pensioners. In April this year, both the basic and new State Pensions increased by 4.1%, benefitting over 12 million pensioners by up to £470. And our commitment to maintain the Triple Lock – helping to protect the value of the State Pension – for the entirety of this Parliament will see pensioners’ yearly incomes rise significantly.
Pensioners who reached State Pension age before April 2016, and therefore receive the basic State Pension, may also receive an earnings-related additional State Pension (also known as the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) or from April 2002 the State Second Pension) and Graduated Retirement Benefit. This means that although the rate of the basic State Pension is set below the rate of the new State Pension, a person who retired before April 2016 may be receiving a larger amount of pension than just the basic rate – and in many cases above the level of the new State Pension.
Pension Credit continues to provide vital financial support for pensioners who, for whatever reason, have been unable to save for or contribute towards their retirement and find themselves on a low income. It was introduced by the last Labour Government specifically to help prevent pensioners falling into poverty and it does this by guaranteeing a minimum level of income, currently £227.10 week for a single pensioner or £346.40 week for a couple. For pensioners who reached State Pension age before April 2016, the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit also provides a tapered award for those with other income such as a modest private or occupational pension.
Receipt of Pension Credit opens the door to other financial support, including Housing Benefit, Council Tax support and help with NHS costs as well as help with fuel bills and a free TV licence for those over 75.
That is why we continue to promote Pension Credit to eligible pensioners and their family and friends, with our ongoing campaign featuring adverts on television and radio; on social media and on digital screens in GP surgeries and Post Offices, as well as in the press.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken to ensure the continued availability of in-person post office services in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire since 5 September 2025.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government protects the sustainability of the Post Office network – and the rural network in particular – by providing an annual Network Subsidy. This ensures Post Office Limited maintains a minimum number of branches and a geographical spread of branches in line with the Government-set access criteria. This financial year we are providing £83 million in subsidy, up from £50 million previously, and building on the uplift provided last year. The access criteria ensures that, however the network changes, 99% of the UK population live within three miles of their nearest Post Office.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken ensure the continued availability of post office services in rural communities in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire since his appointment.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government protects the sustainability of the Post Office network - and the rural network in particular - by providing an annual Network Subsidy. This ensures Post Office Limited maintains a minimum number of branches and a geographical spread of branches in line with the Government-set access criteria.
This financial year we are providing £83 million in subsidy, up from £50 million previously, and building on the uplift provided last year. The access criteria ensures that, however the network changes, 99% of the UK population live within three miles of their nearest Post Office.