WEIR EXPRESSES CONCERNS AT POST OFFICE SERVICE CUT

Angus MP Mike Weir has expressed concern at  the apparent decision of the  Post Office to cut yet another service to rural areas. Mr Weir had been approached by an Angus constituent who had enquired about having her newspapers delivered by the Post Office. She was told that this could no longer be done.

Mr Weir immediately contacted the Post Office who claim  the service is not economic. They say a review is underway but they have already stopped providing the service for new customers.

Commenting on the matter Mr Weir said

"This is yet another example of the death by a thousand cuts being suffered by rural postal services. The newspaper delivery service has been enjoyed for many years is now to end. This will mean anyone wanting a newspaper will have to travel into town, hardly good either for rural communities or indeed the environment."

"Clearly the Post Office is now looking at rural services in a purely economic light and cutting those that it deems uneconomic. How long will the universal service obligation survive in this atmosphere?"

"A chill ran through rural communities when Adam Crozier talked about the radical transformation  of the rural post office network. It appears that the Post Office intend to go much further and slash other services to rural communities, a process likely to be intensified under the ludicrous proposals from the Liberal Democrats to part privatise the organisation."

"The Post Office cannot be seen as a purely commercial operation and government must recognise its essential social function in rural Scotland. Government policies have led directly to the closure of many sub post offices, failure to continue support to the remainder amounts to a deliberate assault on our rural communities. "