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Royal Mail

Hooper is quite clear that he believes that a valuable partnership will be with a postal or network company that has carried out changes such as Royal Mail needs. I cannot comment on every discussion that the Department has, but that is the recommendation in the report and the outcome that we seek. I wish to say a word about post offices. I know that the debate is about Royal Mail, but right hon. and hon. Members care a great deal about post offices. The closures of the past year were difficult for local communities, but now that they are drawing to a close, the network is in a more stable position. The Government made clear the future of the post office card account shortly before Christmas, and we are now working with the Select Committee on Business and Enterprise and Post Office Ltd to identify future new areas of business. The Post Office is partly a social and community service, and the network of about 11,500 branches depends on Government subsidy to survive. We will keep that network in 100 per cent. public ownership, although of course most post office services are delivered by sub-postmasters, who are private business people and often have their own businesses attached. Like many Members, I want the Post Office's banking and financial services offering to be expanded. It is a trusted brand and has more branches than all the banks put together, so it has real potential in that area. However, with post offices accounting for a little more than one tenth of Royal Mail Group's overall turnover and even that proportion depending on subsidy from the Government, we should not pretend that such an expansion can solve its problems.