Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates has welcomed the news that the Post Office will receive an extra £1.3bn of funding from the Westminster Government.
Business Secretary Vince Cable MP told parliament that the additional money, averaging about £330m a year over the next four years, would secure the Post Office’s long-term future. The 11,500-strong network had been receiving £150m a year in subsidies.
Commenting, Mick Bates AM said:
“Post Offices are so often at the heart of our local towns and villages, they are the vibrant hub of many rural communities and provide a lifeline especially for older people who are unable to access services elsewhere.
“Under the Labour Party’s reign in Government we saw severe cuts to the Post Office network, with around 8,000 sub-post offices closed including record numbers in rural areas.
“I welcome Vince Cable’s announcement that there will be no programme of closures under the new coalition Government. The £1.3billion investment in the network will help the Post Office to invest and become more sustainable, with a wider range of products and services that I hope will secure the long-term future of the network.”
