I present to the House a petition on post office closures in Cumbria.

The petitioners declare:

The Petition of those concerned about Post Office closures in Cumbria,

Declares that they give their full support to Flookburgh, Hallgarth, Heathwaite, Grasmere, Endmoor, Burneside, Beetham, Dent, Backbarrow, Burton-in-Kendal, Rinkfield, Lindale, Levens, Kents Bank, Storth, Hawkshead and Hutton Roof, as these are an integral part of the local community and to lose them would be a loss to all of them.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, to instruct the Post Office Ltd as it conducts its review of Post Office branches, to keep these Post Offices open; and further urges the Government to stop the unnecessary Post Office closure programme, and instead free business from restrictive regulation, invest in the future of the network and stop removing government business to safeguard our Post Offices.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.

[P000141]