WITN10910112
WITN10910112
Department for
Business, Energy
& Industrial Strategy
BEIS Hot Topics Pack: March 2017
Last updated: 13/06/2024 by Harrison Andy (ED)
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Official Sensitive
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WITN10910112
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Official Sensitive
Post Office Ltd
Top Lines
There are over 11,600 post office branches in the UK, the largest retail network in the country.
The Post Office network is at its most stable in over two decades.
Government will have provided nearly £2 billion during the period 2010 to 2018 to maintain a
network that meets nationwide access criteria and to invest in transformation of the business.
Government has committed to secure the future of 3,000 rural post offices, recognising the
important role post offices play in service their communities.
Around 18 million customers & a third of SMEs visit post offices every week.
Post Office Ltd was separated from Royal Mail in April 2012, and is an independent company. It
remains in public ownership.
The Government consultation on the Post Office network closed on 21st December. The
responses will help us to understand what the public and businesses expect from the Post
Office and to understand more fully what subsidy is needed and what it should be used for.
Government will provide a response to its consultation in due course.
Attack: Why is Government supporting more franchising of the directly run Crowns when
this leads to worse service and poorer pay for staff at those branches?
e Almost all services currently provided at a Crown branch can be offered at a franchise.
e Service quality is not reduced - customer satisfaction for franchised branches is as high as
when they were Crowns.
e WHSmith and all other businesses operating post offices must comply fully with UK
employment law on paying their staff.
e Through the current franchising and crown transformation programme, crown offices have
moved to a position of financial break even compared to annual losses of £40m per annum.
Allegations about the Post Office Horizon IT system
* This is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. As legal proceedings have been
announced, we are unable to comment further.
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