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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Post Office Fund announcement is too little too late
February 6, 2008 12:00 AM
Peter Black and Helen Ceri Clarke at a local Post Office
Welsh Liberal Democrats have slammed a government announcement that a scheme to secure the future of our post offices won't start dishing out money for at least a further 12 months.
Ministers revealed today that the long awaited re-opening of the Post Office Development Fund - established by the Welsh Lib Dems in government, but put on hold by Labour - will not take place until 2009.
Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Mike German said: "After months of dilly-dallying, I'm relieved the government has finally committed to re-opening the post office development fund. But 2009 is much, much too late.
"Post offices in Cardiff are already closing. Post offices in my region of South East Wales are currently subject to consultation on closure. The rest of Wales will follow after May. By September all of Wales' post offices will know their fate. Why is the government delaying beyond this date?
"Any delay is putting the integrity of the network at stake. When we introduced the scheme, as part of the partnership government, we were able to assist 106 post offices in Wales. Vital support for a vital network."
Social justice spokesperson Peter Black added: "Opening the fund in January 2009 means that once bids are put together and approved, nothing is likely to be spent until halfway through the year. Labour and their Plaid helpers will have spent almost two years fiddling, while our post office network burns.
"We have long argued that the PODF should be opened as soon as possible. If that means it has to be done by region - once the current closure plans are implemented, so be it. The Labour government in Westminster has proved no friend to the post office network. Their colleagues in Wales are proving themselves no different."
Notes:
The PODF assisted 106 post offices to remain open between 2002 and 2004 and in total provided £4.1 million in support. (continues over)
The Fund was established to help post offices in Wales' most deprived areas and isolated communities to stay open and become more accessible.
Sub-postmasters in eligible areas were invited to apply for grants of up to £50,000 each to renovate their post offices and widen the range of services and products offered to their customers. The fund closed in July 2004 and has yet to re-open.
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