Post Offices: Securing their future

Web forum now closed

"Thank you very much for all your web forum posts. The Business and Enterprise Committee has been interested to hear your views on post offices and you have made a valuable contribution to our inquiry.

"Many of you have highlighted the important role post offices play in communities, particularly in rural and deprived urban areas, and particularly for older and disabled people. Many posts emphasised that the cost-effectiveness of post offices was secondary to the numerous social functions they serve. And many of you have suggested numerous additional services that post offices could offer, as well as ways that current services could be expanded or provided more consistently.

"Although there are many post office users who are comfortable with online technology, there are clearly many others within society who are not, and transactions over the internet cannot completely replace the services available through post offices.

"We are grateful for your participation in the web forum. Your comments will help guide the Committee as it embarks on a series of visits and oral evidence sessions over the next two months and help inform the recommendations the Committee makes to the Government, which we hope to publish in a report in early summer 2009."

Report: Post Offices - securing their future