Keetch Joins Post Office Protest

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 29th Mar 2000

Hereford's Liberal Democrat MP Paul Keetch was among a delegation of MP's today to the DTI to press for an end to Benefit payment changes that could threaten small Sub Post Offices. The delegation, led by Eastleigh MP David Chidgey, handed in a petition to the Minister for Competition, Alan Johnson, at the Department of Trade & Industry.

Paul Keetch had a petition from the Hereford Constituency of 3,235 names. "People value the Post Office network greatly", said Paul Keetch. "Government plans to make people receive benefit and pension payments into a Bank account will effect the number of people who cash their cheques at small Post Offices. We believe this is wrong, and many people, especially pensioners, want to continue to collect their payment in cash over the counter. They may not have, and may not want a Bank account which they might be charged for."

Mr. Keetch further said "It is estimated that of the 47 Post Offices in my Constituency, 20 of them rely on benefit payment for at least 40% of their business. If they loose this business the Post Office will close and communities will suffer. Over 3,000 people in my constituency alone think this wrong - The Government must scrap their plans or alter them to allow people to continue to use the Post Office Network."