MINISTER PROMISES TO LOOK INTO NEWSPAPER DELIVERY HALT

Angus MP, Mike Weir, has written to the UK Trade & Industry Minister, Alistair Darling MP, to ask that he investigate the decision by some Post Office Delivery managers to stop all new applications of daily newspapers deliveries to rural areas.

Mr Weir brought the matter to the attention of the Minister during the first Trade & Industry questions in the House of Commons of the new session after learning from concerned Angus Glens’ residents that the Post Office in Kirriemuir had decided to stop new applications for newspaper deliveries to the area.

Speaking on the matter, Mr Weir said:

“It seems that the Post Office is taking a very piecemeal approach to this matter.

“There certainly appears to have been no public consultation on this decision.  Indeed when I met with the National Federation of Sub Postmasters last week, sub postmasters from other Scottish rural areas confirmed that they had never come across this problem.    One even told me that his shop, attached to the Post Office, relied very much on the service for newspaper deliveries over a wide rural area.

“Rural areas in Angus rely on deliveries from the Royal Mail and not just for their mail, I am, therefore, pleased that the Minister has promised to look into this matter, especially considering that new requests in the Glens would be on delivery routes taken everyday by the Postman.”