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To: ci Without annex C
1. MR SIBBICK Sir Michael Scholar
2. MR JOHNSON Mr Macdonald
3. SECRETARY OF STATE Mr Davis CGBPS o/r
Mrs Britton PORT o/r
From: Mr Whitehead CGBPS1
Mr Tee NEWS
ISABEL ANDERSON Ms Bishop NEWS
CGBPS 1 Mr Corry Sp Adv
Ms Moore Sp Adv
11 August 1999
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF SUBPOSTMASTERS(NFSP): LETTER FOR
NFSP JOURNAL AND REQUEST FOR MEETING
Issue
1. Reply to two letters from Colin Baker, General Secretary of the National
Federation of Subpostmasters:
(i) conveying the concerns of his members about the future of the post
office network and inviting you to write to the subpostmasters in the
NFSP monthly journal on how the Government sees their future; and
Gi) forwarding a copy of the NFSP’s response to the White Paper.
Recommendation
2; A reply to Mr Baker is at Annex A covering a letter for publication in the
journal (at Annex B).
Timin
3. Routine.
Background
4. Mr Baker in his letter to you expresses concern about the potential loss of
work to subpostmasters which will result from the move to ACT in 2003. He says
that the Federation is currently being inundated with correspondence from concerned
subpostmasters who are worried about the future of their post offices. He says that
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his members are pressing for a public campaign which the Federation would be most
reluctant to engage in and is seeking to better understand the Government's proposals
for the network.
5. The draft reply seeks to explain the Government's vision for the network. Mr
Baker is privately aware of the proposal that the Performance and Innovation Unit
should undertake a study of the future of the network in the Autumn on which the
Prime Minister has yet to take a decision.
6. Mr Baker asks to meet you again to discuss further the proposals for the future
of the network. You previously met with him on 8 June . We suggest that it would
not be appropriate at this point to meet again with Mr Baker who will be in touch
with developments in Government thinking on the network as a result of his
membership of the Horizon Working Group. We suggest that you should instead
offer Mr Baker a meeting with Alan Johnson, as the new Minister with Post Office
responsibilities.
7. The NFSP’s response to the White Paper (at Annex C) in particular stresses
their concerns about the implications for the post office network of the potential loss
of income which subpostmasters are facing with cancellation of the benefit payment
card and the switch to ACT from 2003, given that many subpost offices already
operate on the margins of viability. They suggest that it is essential that Government
departments remain loyal to POCL until the Government Gateway proposals are
implemented and that Government maximises its use of the network for delivering its
Welfare Reform and Modernising Government aims.
ISABEL ANDERSON
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