Last week in the House of Commons I spoke in the debate on the Postal Services Bill, which could lead to one of the biggest reforms of the Royal Mail and the Post Office for over 100 years. For years we have seen financial pressures reduce the number of post offices and restrict the number of mail deliveries people receive. I was pleased that the Government has announced some extra funding to support the Post Office network, which will mean that there will be no pressure over the life of this parliament for post offices to close.
We recently saw the closure of four local post offices, which were at the heart of their community and greatly valued by local residents. The Post Office is not just used as a place where people can pick up payments and send parcels and letters; it is a place where people can receive help and advice. It is also a great to support to small businesses, particularly and increasingly so for people who sell goods on the internet. Some communities have been successful in fighting to keep a local post office open. In Enbrook Valley in Sandgate a business case, supported by local people was put together to keep the post office at A.B’s minimarket. In Elham, when the post office closed a counter service was set up at the King’s Arms pub in the village. I would like to see more support for these initiatives, and to make it easier for a community to either re-open or keep open a post office. These do not need to be stand alone offices, but can be part of another local business like a shop or a pub. The debate should be about how we improve the postal network, not merely hang on to what we have got.
The Bill we have debated in parliament helps this by making it easier authorisations to be given to new providers of postal services. The Bill also proposes that Post Offices could become mutuals, like the John Lewis Partnership, where the employees all have a stake in the business. Overall the Bill allows for much needed private investment in the postal network, through the sale of the Government’s stake in the Royal Mail. It will remain a universal 6 day a week service, with the price of sending and receiving letters being the same wherever you live. So whether you are in Newchurch, or Church Street in Folkestone, you will still have the same service to your door.
On Friday last week I joined volunteers at the Barnardos shop in Sandgate Road in Folkestone to support ‘Make a Difference’ day. This day highlights the work done by people right across our community to help others. Following this I met with Store Manager Darren Turner and his staff at Sainsbury’s in West Park Farm in Folkestone. In the afternoon I joined Sharon Clarke from the Family Fund at the Sure Start centre in Denmark Street in Folkestone. Along with some of the families who have benefited from the fund I heard about their work to give grants to support families with disabled children. You can find out more about the help they provide at their website www.familyfund.org.uk .