WEIR: GOVERNMENT “DOUBLE STANDARDS” OVER MAIL DELIVERIES

Mike Weir MP has expressed alarm at the extent to which some Government departments are using private carriers rather than the Post Office for mail deliveries.

Mr Weir had asked each Government department how much mail was carried by private carriers and what the cost was in the last twelve months.  He was surprised to find that there was a huge difference between departments with some not using private carriers at all yet the Department of Transport having spent £1.7 million on private carriers.

Mr Weir said:

“At a time when the future of Royal Mail is in the balance it is astonishing to find that Government departments are spending such huge sums on private mail deliveries.  This is yet another example of the double standards this Government operates in respect of the Post Office.  On one hand they say that they are putting large sums of money into the service yet on the other hand they are removing services and business from it.  This makes absolutely no sense.

“It is especially worrying that the worst offender so far has turned out to be the Department of Transport since for a large part of the relevant period it was run by Alistair Darling, who is now in charge of the Post Office in the Department of Trade and Industry. 

“If Mr Darling was prepared to sanction such a move from the Royal Mail to private carriers in his previous department what confidence can we really have in his commitment to Royal Mail in his current post?

“Next year the people of Scotland will have the opportunity to elect an SNP led government that will do what it can to secure the future of Scotland’s post office network.”