To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimates his Department has made of the number of people that will reside more than three miles away from a post office following the restructuring of the Post Office branch network, broken down by region of residency. (189103)

The Government have set national access criteria to ensure that post office services continue to be available across the country. These include criteria requiring that, nationally, at least 99 per cent. of the UK population are within three miles of their nearest post office outlet, and that at least 95 per cent. of the total rural population of the UK are within three miles of their nearest post office outlet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post offices within Vale of York constituency will be within three miles by road of another post office following the proposed restructuring of the network. (189863)

This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.