Written question asked by Patsy Calton (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 1 March 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 4 March 2004. It was answered by Stephen Timms (Labour) on Thursday, 4 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, how much money has been paid in compensation to sub-post masters and mistresses of closing post offices; and how many post offices have been closed in each of the last five years. - Including table.

Answer: Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been paid in compensation to sub-post masters and mistresses of closing post offices; and how many post offices have been closed in each of the last five years. [158586] Mr. Timms: I understand from Post Office Ltd. that net closures of post offices in each of the last five years were: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Year to end March 1999 233 2000 382 2001 547 2002 262 2003 1345 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 Including 102 closures under the urban reinvention programme which commenced in October 2002. Compensation is paid only to those subpostmasters whose office close under the terms of the urban reinvention programme. Post Office Ltd. produces data on branch closures, including those under the urban reinvention programme, on a quarterly basis. The total amount paid in compensation to subpostmasters in respect of the 694 post offices closed under the urban reinvention programme to end December 2003, the latest quarter for which this information is available was £38,111,410.

Secondary information