News Date: Tuesday 18th December 2007
Tim brings Post Office petition to Parliament but Minister refuses to mention Adur or Worthing
Last night East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton held an adjournment debate in the House of Commons chamber to protest at the Government's proposed closure of local Post Offices. Tim requested the debate in order to challenge the Minister with responsibly for Royal Mail - Pat McFadden MP who is Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office to listen to the concerns of the residents of Worthing and Adur.
In a sixty-eight minute speech Tim pleaded for the Government to acknowledge that the situation of Post Offices earmarked for closure in Adur and Worthing should be reconsidered. He was joined by West Worthing MP Peter Bottomley who has also been campaigning to save his constituency's sub Post Office branches. In his reply to Tim the Government Minister Pat McFadden talked generally about Post Offices and refused to mention, even once, the specific problems with Post Offices in Adur or Worthing - despite being challenged by Tim to do so three occasions.
The Post Office Ltd are closing 9 Post Offices in Worthing and Adur and over the last five weeks over 5000 people have signed the petition Tim launched in order to stop these cuts. Customers have been signing up at Post Offices and online on Tim's website. At the end of the debate last night Tim presented the petition to Parliament.
Over the past few weeks Tim has received hundreds of emails and letters asking him to do everything within his power to stop these closures. He has also led public meetings and marches to demonstrate against them.
During the debate Tim commented
"The Post Office consultation is due to close on Christmas Eve and if Royal Mail go ahead with these cuts it will be the worst ever Christmas present for my constituents.
"The proposed cuts fail to take into account house-building forecasts, population growth, deprivation and large pensioner numbers. My constituents are concerned about the effect these closures will have on our local community.
"I have received letter after letter outlining people's fears that they will no longer be able to access their pensions. Our bus services are infrequent and for elderly people who have limited mobility they do not go anywhere near enough to many of their houses or the Post Office braches which will remain open.
"Many people will now use their cars to access Post Offices rather than walk for miles. This will have a very negative effect on our carbon footprint. I cannot believe that the Post Office have not taken the environmental impact of these closures into account during their consultation."
After the debate Tim commented:
"I hope the Minister will now insist that Royal Mail re-access the criteria which they are using to determine whether to close these vital Post Offices. Although I fear that there is little hope of that as he refused to reply to my comments on the Post Offices in Adur and Worthing.
"My constituency is being stripped of hospitals, post offices and bus services left right and centre - it is time someone from Government took responsibility for it and put and end to it."
On Thursday 20th December at 5.30pm in Broadwater Parish Rooms (opposite Broadwater Green on Broadwater Street West) Tim has organised a public meeting for local residents concerned by the proposed closure of their local Worthing Post Offices to raise their concerns directly with representatives of the Post Office. Everybody who cares about their local Post Office is encouraged to attend.
ENDS
Note to Editor:
1) To read the full text of the debate please click here
