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Post Office Closures

The hon. Gentleman will be aware that the Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Committee—what used to be the Trade and Industry Committee—has looked into the matter quite deeply. The Committee is chaired by his colleague the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Peter Luff). It looked at the cost of haphazard closures, and reluctantly accepted that the Government's plan was the only way forward. The hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Alan Duncan) knows full well what the Committee recommended, and it looks a little sneaky to have this debate today, at a time when the Select Committee is away and the Chairman has no opportunity to reply. Is he afraid that some Conservative Back Benchers might have been persuaded by the Committee Chairman?