To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the likely number of rural post offices which will be open in November 2008; and if he will make a statement. (167178)

None. This is a matter for Post Office Ltd. Post Office Ltd.'s local decisions will need to reflect the Government's aim of supporting a national network of post offices and to comply with the access criteria requirements set by Government. It is expected that there will be roughly similar numbers of closures in rural and urban areas.