Post Offices

Thank you Deputy Presiding Officer.

This evening's debate highlights the role within any community of post office branches. Sadly the network change programme remained relatively unaltered after consultation and many communities across the South of Scotland will find themselves with reduced postal services in the future. It's disappointing that Post Office Ltd effectively ignored the unanimous voice and movement against these closures.

In 2006 the Scottish Executive commissioned a report into the role played by post office branches. This looked at why rural communities use their post offices in three communities in Scotland: West Linton in the Borders, Kirkconnel in Dumfriesshire and Rogart in Sutherland.

It concluded that the post office provided access to post office services to communities who are restricted from using other services due to their geographical location, regardless of income or physical well being. A fact I knew well, as my own Grandmother ran the Stenton Post Office in East Lothian.

Financial inclusion with access to bank services and that the more vulnerable members of a community appreciate having a local service within walking distance or a short bus ride, is provided by Post offices. Elderly and disabled people found the personal service from their local post office branch a lifeline especially where there's a poor bus service.

The post office was cited as the hub of the community, providing a place to meet and an informal communication network. This is particularly true of rural and remote communities.

It showed that the postmaster and staff played an important part in the community and in all three studies participants reported the advice and support provided by these individuals went beyond customer counter duties to wider community roles. Figures of trust.

The post office branches also complement other businesses - someone using his or her post office branch will often stop at other shops along the high street. And post offices are used as a localised communication network for residents through notices it often acts almost as a one stop advice shop for visitors and tourists.

Indeed, research commissioned by Postwatch at around the same time concluded that "whether affluent or disadvantaged, the closure of the rural post office appeared to have had far-reaching effects upon both particular individuals and the community in general. It became apparent that the post office played an extremely important role in the rural community, a role that transcended the provision of post office services or even the goods sold at the store which was often attached."

Three years later these two pieces of research translate on the ground using evidence obtained from constituents, local organisations and community groups throughout the consultation period. I believe that Post Office Ltd based its network change programme on very clinical factors and in no way did it take into account the demographics of individual communities.

Over the consultation period there's been a huge public outcry against closures, not just from individuals but from organisations and local authorities. And some of the Post Office's decisions are hard to swallow - Greenlaw, Hutton and Morebattle post offices for example. Three busy, well used branches. Greenlaw was particularly difficult to reason: - there are a significant number of small businesses based in the town that rely on the Post Office and its current opening hours to conduct their business. Such businesses need to have a next day delivery service for orders received before specified times during the day. Transporting large quantities of parcels to the nearest alternative Post Office would not be practical both from the perspective of the time away from the business and difficulties of parking in close vicinity to the Post Office in Duns. Scottish Borders Council is seriously concerned about the adverse effects of the proposal on all businesses in Greenlaw and potential job losses should the proposed closure go ahead; there is no Parcel Force facility within the area which increases the reliance of small businesses on the Post Office.

Reducing access to Post Office services may impact the number of businesses locating there and the general viability of this venture; Greenlaw is used by tourists who base themselves at the local caravan park; the elderly who rely on a carer to accompany them to the Post Office will be severely disadvantaged if the proposed new hours do not align with the time of the carers' visits; the bus service to the nearest alternative operates every two hours. The journey to carry out a simple transaction would take a minimum time of 2 ½ hours using public transport; the proposed stopping area for the mobile van is problematic as it is used as a general car parking space and may not always be available for the mobile service to utilise; it's also on a hill which will present access difficulties for the elderly and disabled or parents with prams and young children. The only reason I could see for reducing services in Greenlaw, Sheuchan St in Stranraer and the likes was to justify mobile and hosted services - which are unsustainable.

And post offices across the South of Scotland are now playing the waiting game, with many in the dark about when they will actually close.

Deputy Presiding Officer I make this plea to Post Office to ensure that the closure of these vital community services is not a starter for ten and that the mobile and hosted replacement services are kept under constant review so that increased provision is made where necessary. I plea to the Minister to do all in his powers to help to re-instate essential Post Offices like Greenlaw and sheuchan St in Stranraer - where hope is given to make the post office into a co-operative.

As my fear remains that where replacement services are drastically reduced, customers will simply not find it possible to fit into a restricted service, and the consequence will be that Post Office will see future reduction in customer use as a further reason to get rid of mobile and hosted services altogether , ever more a possibility with the part privatisation of Post Office Ltd.

Thank you