[holding answer 12 June 2006]: The question the hon. Member has asked relates to operational matters for which Post Office Ltd. is directly responsible. However, Post Office Ltd. have provided the following figures relating to the numbers of post office branches in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset.
Devon Cornwall Somerset Dorset 2001-02 436 291 218 230 2002-03 425 275 215 224 2003-04 394 264 205 197 2004-05 364 262 195 195 2005-06 358 264 194 187
Information relating to post office branches for each parliamentary constituency is placed in the Libraries of the House on an annual basis.
The question the hon. Member has asked relates to operational matters for which Post Office Ltd. is directly responsible. However, Post Office Ltd. have provided the following figures relating to the number of post office branches in Hove constituency.
Number 2001-02 22 2002-03 20 2003-04 14 2004-05 14 2005-06 14 Note: Data on post offices closed in Hove constituency since 1997 is not available prior 2000.
Information relating to post office branches for each parliamentary constituency is placed in the Libraries of the House on an annual basis.
The question the hon. Member has asked relates to operational matters for which Post Office Ltd. (POL) is directly responsible. However, POL have provided the following figures relating to the net reduction in rural Post Office branches by year.
Net reduction in rural branches 2000-01 441 2001-02 194 2002-03 115 2003-04 149 2004-05 144 2005-06 149
Post Office branches are classified as being in either urban or rural areas, with rural areas being defined as settlements with less than 10,000 inhabitants, this definition follows that of the Countryside Agency and was adopted at the end of 1999-2000 in preparation for the PIU report.
Data on the net reduction in the number of branches in settlements with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants (rural branches) is not available prior 2000.