Williams welcomes saving of post office card account (Kirsty Williams AM )

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Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

Williams welcomes saving of post office card account

November 13, 2008 5:00 PM

Kirsty Williams AM for Brecon and Radnorshire has welcomed wholeheartedly the news that the Post Office Card account will be retained.

The Government has today announced that it has abandoned plans to tender the card account elsewhere - had these plans gone ahead it would have been yet another assault on the long suffering Post office network in Wales.

Kirsty Williams said: "Finally the post office network has some positive news. The Conservative and Labour Governments have consecutively hounded our post offices and have together overseen the loss of over 7,500 post offices across the UK.

"Had the contract for the card account gone elsewhere it would have been a devastating hit to the whole network. The National Federation of Sub postmasters predicted that 3,000 post offices would have been forced to close if the contract had not been awarded to Post Office Ltd.

"It is the very action of the Labour Government that is making post offices unviable, with the decision to move away from the old system of books and from services such as TV license renewals.

"I want to see the Government investing in the post office network, I want to see it investing in post offices so that people can access services there.

"Over 4 million people choose to receive their benefits and pensions through a card account at their local post office. It is great news that they will be able to continue to do so. But the Government must give more services back to the post office network to ensure its survival."