Post Office Closures

[Royboy39]

Originally Posted by garinda

..and yet you still settled for Alicante, or as I prefer to call it, Morecambe with parasols.

Dream on sunshine

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by garinda

Cashy, I do see the need for Post Offices, and I do know the one in Ossy is well used, especially now there is only one left in the centre of the town.

What I do object to is public money being used to prop up those that aren't as well used, are unprofitable, and are funded like something out of the state run, old eastern European block.

The health service is far from profitable, should we get rid of that too? How about disability benefits, they're not profitable for me, but I damn well understand the state NEEDS to play its role there because it's not going to be undertaken by the private sector. Just like I believe we should keep the post office because it's not profitable but necessary.

For less than £2 a year I'm happy to keep the service open since so many people depend on it.

[Neil]

There are many things I would like improving within the Post Office. What about opening the collection office at sensible times? What use is it when it closes at 1:30pm?

[jaysay]

When the government didn't renew the contract with the post office to pay benefits by payment book, they tried to get evrybody to have enefits payed straight into bank accouts, I settled for a post office card account as I wanted to keep the Ossy Town Hall office open, but it still closed. I now have my money paid into my bank, and there is a reason. I had a probem and had to ring the PO help line, as usuall I was my polite little unassuming self.I asked a question but because I couldent remember my pass word off hand (this was two years after I opened the account)the young lady got rather obknoxiously off hand, so I let her carry on for a little while before I interrupted her, then I just said excuss me miss but I only opened this account in order to try and save post offices closures and YOUR FLAMING JOB, you stroppy cow(learnt that of PB)I will be transfering my payment to my bank account the minute I finish this call, stoned silence on the other end of the line, then an attempt at an apology, to late was the cry and hung up. But it is a sham the post ofices are closing and if Greg thinks anything about his constituents he will oppose the Government, but I'm not holding my breathe

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Neil

There are many things I would like improving within the Post Office. What about opening the collection office at sensible times? What use is it when it closes at 1:30pm?

that cannot even be discussed wi em if theve already closed em.

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by jaysay

stoned silence on the other end of the line

No wonder they're closing down if that's what they get up to at work!

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Cyfr

The health service is far from profitable, should we get rid of that too? How about disability benefits, they're not profitable for me, but I damn well understand the state NEEDS to play its role there because it's not going to be undertaken by the private sector. Just like I believe we should keep the post office because it's not profitable but necessary.

For less than £2 a year I'm happy to keep the service open since so many people depend on it.

Theres a difference between the N.H.S. and the Post Office, the main one being that you can buy a Post Office, and if it's unprofitable, currently have it shored up, using tax payers money. There aren't many other businesses in the U.K. that that applies to.

As a student I doubt you've personally paid enough tax to comment on social benefits not being profitable to 'you'.

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by garinda

Theres a difference between the N.H.S. and the Post Office, the main one being that you can buy a Post Office, and if it's unprofitable, currently have it shored up, using tax payers money. There aren't many other businesses in the U.K. that that applies to.

As a student I doubt you've personally paid enough tax to comment on social benefits not being profitable to 'you'.

The NHS could be privatised, but of course we don't want that because the service would suffer in terms of long-term diseases like you described in another thread. The NHS is necessary and the post office is necessary. No the post office doesn't save lives, but it is used. If a post office is used by 1 person a day, then fine, close it, but if its being used a lot like many are, and simply making a loss because it costs a lot to run, then we should keep it. As I understand it a particular post office, longshoot, has 800 people petitioning to keep it. Certainly worth keeping, but threatened with closure.

I'm calling for a suspension, which means the issue can be looked at again, properly, rather than closing popular post offices with good business models.

[Greg Pope]

Tomorrow's vote is not really about keeping post offices open. It is an opposition day (when the opposition get to choose the topic) and the Tories will table a motion just saying keep post offices open - it will not say how this should be funded or done, it is simply designed to try and embarrass Labour MPs so they can say that we voted against a motion to keep post offices open. It is childish politics although, to be fair, it is exactly what we did when we were in opposition.

There are around 13,500 post offices in the UK of which around 9,000 lose money, currently at the rate of around half a million pounds a day. I'm opposed to the scale of the closure programme (nationally around 2,500 are due to close of which 5 are in Hyndburn) but we do need to face up to the the twin difficulties of finding people to run them (most closures are happening with the agreement of the postmaster) and funding them at a time when fewer and fewer people are using them. To give one example, I renewed my car tax online last week instead of using a post office, and millions of other people will do similarly.

[garinda]

As stated earlier, way back in the thread, I do think it is sad that many Post Offices have closed, and many more may face closure in the future.

Unfortunately many people's habits have changed for ever, just as many people now find it easier to do a weekly shop at a supermarket, than patronise their local high street shops. Sad, but a fact.

How underused, and unprofitable, would a Post Office have to be, before it's closure was deemed acceptable?

Again, as stated earlier, let us not forget that these Post Offices are privately owned concerns, and I can't think of many other private businesses that receive tax payer's money to help keep them afloat.

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by Greg Pope

Tomorrow's vote is not really about keeping post offices open. It is an opposition day (when the opposition get to choose the topic) and the Tories will table a motion just saying keep post offices open - it will not say how this should be funded or done, it is simply designed to try and embarrass Labour MPs so they can say that we voted against a motion to keep post offices open. It is childish politics although, to be fair, it is exactly what we did when we were in opposition.

There are around 13,500 post offices in the UK of which around 9,000 lose money, currently at the rate of around half a million pounds a day. I'm opposed to the scale of the closure programme (nationally around 2,500 are due to close of which 5 are in Hyndburn) but we do need to face up to the the twin difficulties of finding people to run them (most closures are happening with the agreement of the postmaster) and funding them at a time when fewer and fewer people are using them. To give one example, I renewed my car tax online last week instead of using a post office, and millions of other people will do similarly.

Can we ask how you're voting? Surely doing something, suspending and having a rethink is better than nothing.

Is it also true that the postmasters are getting paid 60 thousand pound payoffs if they agree to closure. I think this is wrong.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Greg Pope

Tomorrow's vote is not really about keeping post offices open. It is an opposition day (when the opposition get to choose the topic) and the Tories will table a motion just saying keep post offices open - it will not say how this should be funded or done, it is simply designed to try and embarrass Labour MPs so they can say that we voted against a motion to keep post offices open. It is childish politics although, to be fair, it is exactly what we did when we were in opposition.

There are around 13,500 post offices in the UK of which around 9,000 lose money, currently at the rate of around half a million pounds a day. I'm opposed to the scale of the closure programme (nationally around 2,500 are due to close of which 5 are in Hyndburn) but we do need to face up to the the twin difficulties of finding people to run them (most closures are happening with the agreement of the postmaster) and funding them at a time when fewer and fewer people are using them. To give one example, I renewed my car tax online last week instead of using a post office, and millions of other people will do similarly.

Fare play Greg for explaining what is happening tomorrow in the big house and that it is a ploy used by all parties in opposition as you quite rightly put, that is politics. Even though to my way of thinking its not really about making a profit its about providing a service, not so much for people up to our age group by that I mean early sixties (I know you've a long way to go to reach that) its the people who are in their 70s and 80s that I am concerned about, people who are set in their ways and are unable to get about as well as they once could, we do tend to forget about these people who, in the past have given so much and are to easily written and that should be off concern to all politicians whether Red Blue or Yellow. Oh by the way I like the colour of your text, nice choice

[andrewb]

Too late to edit my post but the Conservatives have suggested ways to turn post offices around:

* Give sub-Post Offices more freedom to offer a wider range of business services.
* Push for more Post Offices to be "One Stop Shops" – trained staff could then advise on a range of matters including tax returns, pension entitlements, the opening hours of local pharmacies, how to apply for a disabled parking badge etc.
* Encourage local Councils to open "Council Counters" in local branches.
* Allow the Post Office to work with carriers other than the Royal Mail.
* Prevent the Royal Mail taking business away from sub-Post Offices by under cutting the prices they can charge for postage.

[Tealeaf]

There are a large number of sub-post offices which would be financially viable without the operating grant and a number of the rural ones have stated that they intend to carry on trading - selling groceries, sweets etc. What is disgusting is that the post office is now attempting to impose legal restraint on the services that these non-post offices can now offer if the nearest post office has the same facilities. So, far instance, they cannot offer the National Lottery, parcel alternatives to Royal Mail or utility payments. So much for competition - but what do you expect from this shambles of a government?

[katex]

I rather like the suggestion of a mobile Post Office which calls on areas, that will shortly be bereft of a local one, for 1 day a week for 8 hours. Not much 1 day you might say, but the very elderly are creatures of habit, and used to collecting their pension on a certain day .. or one day in the month.

Could possibly do 2 stops in one area e.g. Hapton (which is all on a hill) and would be easier for people to get to.