Written question asked by Patsy Calton (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 2 March 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 8 March 2004. It was answered by Stephen Timms (Labour) on Monday, 8 March 2004 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the future of Post Office Ltd. (Holding answer 5 March 2004).

Answer: Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the future of Post Office Ltd. [159181] Mr. Timms: [holding answer 5 March 2004]: There are many challenges facing Post Office Ltd. in ensuring that its network of post offices can remain viable and sustainable. The Performance and Innovation Report published in 2000 showed quite starkly that the post office network had not kept pace with the changing needs of its customers and was suffering from lack of investment. A strong management team has been put in place and given the task of turning the company round and building a commercially successful future for the network, by introducing new products and services to bring in new customers.

Secondary information