Tag: UK

UK post offices in jeopardy despite big cutbacks

Posted by | Feb 24, 2005 | |

The future of some post offices remains uncertain despite a huge closure programme designed to boost the financial viability of those that remain, an official report has found. Almost one in three, or 7,000, post offices has been closed in the past 22 years, to the fury of many small communities and elderly people. However, the drastic cuts in the network may still leave some sub-post offices vulnerable to falling volumes of business, the National Audit Office (NAO) said. A report by the Government’s main spending watchdog concludes that the future of the remaining post offices cannot be “guaranteed” and urges the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to be alert to the problem. Post Office Limited is on course to shut about 2,500 urban post offices in the latest closure programme. However, the NAO said there was still some uncertainty as to whether the programme, backed by Pounds 210 million of public money, would achieve its long-term aim.

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UK post offices facing bleak future MP warns

Posted by | Feb 24, 2005 | |

The future for some post offices remained “bleak” despite a closure programme aimed at boosting their viability, a leading MP warned, following an official report into the business. The National Audit Office said the Government needed to be alert to falling volumes of business that could threaten sub post offices. Despite the closure of 2,500 branches there was uncertainty whether the programme, backed by £210 million of government money, would achieve its aim of producing a viable network, according to the study. Edward Leigh, chairman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, said: “The future for some post offices is still bleak. I am concerned to learn that even after the programme of 2,500 closures in urban areas, and work to provide different kinds of financial services, many individual sub postmasters may still struggle to make enough profit to stay open.”

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NAO Report on the DTIs Financial Support for Post Offices

Posted by | Feb 24, 2005 | |

Contents:
The network of post offices in the UK 7
The viability of post offices 8
The financial position of Post Office Limited 9
The status of Post Office Limited 10
Providing services through the post office network 10
The scope and methodology of this report 11
Triangle consultants produced a report for the NAO which contributed to this final report.
P:LibraryPostalNAO DTI Financial Support for Post Offices.pdf
Printed copy: L13963

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National Audit Office report on UK post offices published

Posted by | Feb 24, 2005 | |

Postwatch welcomes the National Audit Office (NAO) report into the Department of Trade and Industry’s financial support for post offices. The report sets out the problems facing the post office network, and in particular, how changes to pension and benefit payments and customer shopping habits have put considerable financial pressures on many post offices. In this light, the NAO’s recommendation for continued business advice and assistance for subpostmasters is to be welcomed. The NAO confirms Postwatch’s concern that the introduction of pilots in rural areas by Post Office Ltd (POL) has thus far not progressed
sufficiently swiftly. In the coming months, POL needs to take significant
steps forward in exploring innovative delivery mechanisms that meet rural
customers’ needs.

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Business leaders issue warning about UK postal competition

Posted by | Feb 19, 2005 | |

Birmingham’s business leaders are demanding protection for small businesses following the announcement that UK postal services will be privatised earlier than expected.

The industry regulator Postcomm decided to open postal services to full competition from next January, 15 months earlier than planned. Debbie Walsh, head of policy at Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said she believed small to medium-sized enterprises would be the first to suffer.

She said: ‘Around 80 per cent of the daily postbag of 83 million letters and packets is sent by companies and we expect this lucrative end of the market to become the battleground between Royal Mail and private delivery companies.

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