Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates has called on the Welsh Government in the Chamber to conduct a review of the mobile Post Office, following concerns over the punctuality of the service in his constituency.
Speaking after his question to the Minister for Social Justice, Mr Bates said:
“Under the Labour Party’s reign in Government we saw severe cuts to the Post Office network, with record numbers of branches closing in rural areas. Under Labour’s programme, two and a half thousand branches closed across the UK over eighteen months. Rural Wales was hit hard, as 717 rural branches were closed in England and Wales in 2008/09 – more than twice the previous year and the highest number of rural branches to close in a single year for at least a decade.
“Following the closures, a mobile Post Office service has been introduced to cover many communities in Mid Wales. Whilst in principle this seems a practical alternative, after receiving correspondence from Castle Caereinion Community Council I am concerned that in some communities the mobile service often arrives late. This is deeply inconvenient for many people who rely on the service being on time, or for the elderly or disabled who are forced to wait around for the service to arrive.
“I have urged the Welsh Government to review the mobile post office service and I hope they will look into doing so. The closures were thanks to Labour and so Labour should accept responsibility for ensuring the mobile service is providing an effective alternative for our rural communities.”
