To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) post office branches and (b) post office branches per head of population in England in (i) hamlets and isolated dwellings, (ii) villages, (iii) towns and fringe settlements and (iv) settlements of more than 10,000 inhabitants in each year since 1997. (243171)

In 2007, in the context of a £1.7 billion funding package to support the post office network, the Government introduced minimum access criteria to maintain a national network of post offices and, in particular to protect vulnerable consumers in deprived urban, rural and remote areas. These access criteria apply nationally and are based on the proportion of the population within specified distances from the nearest post office outlet rather than on density per head of population.

The Department does not hold data on the post office network analysed by country or region since 1997. I have therefore asked Alan Cook, the Managing Director of Post Office Ltd. to write direct to the hon. Member. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many complaints he has received about queues at post offices in each of the last three years. (243216)

The Department does not hold this information in the form requested.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he has discussed queues at post offices with the management of Post Office Ltd. (243217)

I have frequent discussions with the management of Post Office Ltd on a range of issues relating to the post office network, including queuing at post offices.