Parliament debate for Bucks Post Offices

7:34am Friday 18th July 2008

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POST Offices earmarked for closure are to be the subject of a Parliamentary debate.

The future of the eleven south Bucks Post Offices set to shut will be discussed in the House of Commons on Tuesday after MPs were successfully granted an adjournment debate' after weeks of trying.

Cheryl Gillan, the MP for Amersham and Chesham, said the debate meant Pat McFadden MP, the Minister of State for Employment Relations and Postal Policy, would have to look at "the impact the closures will have on our community".

But she added she was "delighted" the debate had been given the go-ahead.

She said: "It's tremendous, I had been trying every week from the moment I heard about the closures, so I have been rewarded for my persistence.

"It's very important from our perspective. It was the last chance we could have had one before the consultation period ends."

Mrs Gillan added she had written to every postmaster in her constituency affected by the proposed closures to see if there were any points they wished to be raised.

High Wycombe MP Paul Goodman said he was unable to attend the debate, but added he was "really delighted" the debate was finally going ahead.

And he criticised the Post Office for failing to properly assess the level of deprivation in the town - which he said was a major point he wanted raising in Parliament next week.

He said: "The Post Office say that they'll take levels of deprivation into account during the consultation - but have not been notified of any specific areas of deprivation'.

"This means, in my view, that they're too idle to look."

The consultation period ends on Monday July 28.

The Post Offices in line for closure are:

Loudwater, Station Road, High Wycombe

Wycombe Lane, Wooburn Green

The Parade, Bourne End

Hazlemere Crossroads, High Wycombe

Desborough Road, High Wycombe

North Town, Totteridge Road, High Wycombe

Old Town, Aylesbury End, Beaconsfield

Chalfont Common, Rickmansworth Lane, Chalfont St Peter

Amersham Old Town, Market Square

Botley Stores, Botley Road, Chesham

Waterside, Chesham