Post Office Minister Pat McFadden has defended the Government's programme of service cuts in Oxfordshire - and said more than nine out of 10 customers would experience "no change" in the branch they used.
His comments are likely to further enrage post office users, who are already coming to terms with the news 22 branches in the county will shut by the end of the summer.
Mr McFadden admitted the programme - which will lead to about 2,500 branches out of 13,000 closing across the country - was "difficult and unpopular".
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But he called for "some sense of perspective" when it came to the Government's overall support for the network.
He told the House of Commons: "In the Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire area, 92 per cent of customers will experience no change in the post office branch that they use and more than 99 per cent of the area's population will either have no change in the branch they use or will remain within one mile by road of an alternative post office."
On Wednesday, the Oxford Mail revealed a full list of which branches across the county would be closing.
The axe fell despite a Mail campaign to save the branches, which included a 6,000-signature petition handed in at 10 Downing Street.
Mr McFadden said: "I understand, as anyone would if they had been doing my job for the past nine months, that the process is very difficult for local communities.
"No-one likes to see their post office close - even those who do not use it very much."
But he added: "The network loses £500,000 every day.
"Those losses have more or less doubled in the past few years.
"It is estimated that if it were run as a commercial network and left to survive without subsidy, it would amount to about 4,000 branches, with perhaps some more on the margins.
"We do not believe that is the kind of network the country wants."
Posted by: Richie, Rose Hill on 11:08pm Thu 8 May 08
Well perhaps if the government did not splash out pots of cash on Adam Crozier, or on expensive TV ads,there might be *less* money being wasted?
Why pay people to engage in consultations with the public, when it is already decided in advance to close 22 post offices?
Well perhaps if the government did not splash out pots of cash on Adam Crozier, or on expensive TV ads,there might be *less* money being wasted?
Why pay people to engage in consultations with the public, when it is already decided in advance to close 22 post offices?
Posted by: Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster on 1:34am Fri 9 May 08
It must be remembered that this program of Post office closures came into being because of European Union directives concerning competition.
NuLabour have so far refused to acknowledge this in order to disguise the true extent to which our lives are run by Brussels bureaucrats, over whom we have no democratic control.
NuLabour have introduced over 3000 new laws since 1997, 80% of which originated in the Brussels/Strasbourg circus, most of them having been gold plated by our control freak government.
It must be remembered that this program of Post office closures came into being because of European Union directives concerning competition.
NuLabour have so far refused to acknowledge this in order to disguise the true extent to which our lives are run by Brussels bureaucrats, over whom we have no democratic control.
NuLabour have introduced over 3000 new laws since 1997, 80% of which originated in the Brussels/Strasbourg circus, most of them having been gold plated by our control freak government.
Posted by: Kevin Stevens, Oxford on 7:36am Fri 9 May 08
So only 1 in 10 will be affected. I wonder how many of that 1 in 10 are OAPs, disabled or those who will have difficulty getting to another post office? Another labour failing.
So only 1 in 10 will be affected. I wonder how many of that 1 in 10 are OAPs, disabled or those who will have difficulty getting to another post office? Another labour failing.
Posted by: Mr Ison, England on 8:11pm Fri 9 May 08
My Parcel arrived 10 to 8,the delivery boy was almost apologetic.
20 hours getting to me from the depot,thats a mile an hour!
The goods themselves are a good fit and now i have something to wear on my lower half.
Maybe late deliveries are the root cause of all those flashing incidents in Oxford,i know i was almost hanging out in all sorts of places.
My Parcel arrived 10 to 8,the delivery boy was almost apologetic.
20 hours getting to me from the depot,thats a mile an hour!
The goods themselves are a good fit and now i have something to wear on my lower half.
Maybe late deliveries are the root cause of all those flashing incidents in Oxford,i know i was almost hanging out in all sorts of places.
Posted by: Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster on 12:22am Sun 11 May 08
"I wonder how many of that 1 in 10 are OAPs, disabled or those who will have difficulty getting to another post office?"-Kevin, so long as this 1 in 10 are not core labour voters Gordon Grim and his chums really won't give a toss.
"I wonder how many of that 1 in 10 are OAPs, disabled or those who will have difficulty getting to another post office?"-Kevin, so long as this 1 in 10 are not core labour voters Gordon Grim and his chums really won't give a toss.
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