Rural Post Office Network
In response to advice from the Postcomm and discussions with Royal Mail and Post Office Limited ("POL"), on 2 December 2002 the Government announced a support package worth £450 million over three years to help maintain the rural post office network and to prevent avoidable closures. For further information on this please see the text of the relevant DTI press notice.
On 16th September 2004 the Government announced a further support package for the rural post office network. Up to £300 million will be made available from 2006 to 2008, thus extending the current support package, which runs until 2006. For further information on this please see the text of the relevant DTI press notice.
The vast majority of funding is used to enable POL to pay sub- postmasters and to pay for the back office functions that help them deliver their services. The Government also requested that POL carry out pilot work to look at new ways of ensuring access to post office services in rural areas.
Related DTI Press Notices
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Announcement of the £450m support package
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Announcement of the £300m support package
Related Documents
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Postcomm's advice to Government on
the Future of the Rural Post Office Network
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(Pease note - The Department has decided that some elements of the Postcomm advice should be withheld under one or both of Section 41 (information that is provided in confidence) and Section 43 (Commercial Interests) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In assessing the exemption under section 43 we have had to consider the public interest. Whilst recognising the public interest in disclosure of information relating to POL and in the scrutiny of the company, Postcomm's report includes specific commercial business information which, if disclosed, would provide useful information to POL’s competitors that would put the company at a commercial disadvantage. The Department therefore concluded that the public interest lies in withholding this information.)