LET PEOPLE PAY THEIR COUNCIL BILLS AT POST OFFICES

It is not just Labour that wants local authorities to provide access to services through post offices. In last night’s Commons debate about the Post Office Card Account, the Conservative spokesman Chris Grayling MP said:
“I would like Departments and local authorities to look at ways of strengthening our post office network, yes”
And the Liberal Democrat spokeswoman Jenny Willott MP said:
“It is indeed the case that we should encourage local authorities to support the residents in their local areas to access post offices, and they should broaden the range of services that are available.”

The Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, James Purnell MP reminded MPs that one in three people do not have online services at home and 2 million people do not have bank accounts. That is why he says that post offices, trusted by their communities, are important in helping to provide services for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable on our society as well as providing mainstream services to us all as individuals and businesses.

David now plays the role of PPS to Rosie Winterton within "Works and Pensions". He is pictured above having  a coffee break with James Purnell, Secretary of State for Works and Pensions.

In Stafford constituency, David Kidney MP brought together Staffordshire councils and Post Office Ltd in September to discuss ways of improving the range of services that councils can offer to the public through post offices. He says that he hopes Staffordshire’s councils will lead the way in showing some imagination and putting business the way of post offices locally:

“One good outcome of the meeting I convened would be for councils to offer residents the ability to make payments due to councils – council tax, business rates, fines and so on – at post offices. The important detail for councils and Post Office Ltd to settle is that such payments should be handled at a reasonable charge by the post office and with this cost paid for by the council not the person making the payment.

“Given that Stafford Borough Council has announced the closure of its own cash payment facilities at Stafford and at Stone, I hope that this local council can give us all a little Christmas cheer by confirming that it will enable residents to have access to just such a post office service.”

11 November 2008

The full text of the debate can be seen here

Lord Mandelson's call for a review of the Role of the post offices.   In a seperate development Lord Mandelson has written to Gordon Brown advocating a review of the role of the post offices in the light of the financial slowdown.    BBC Coverage of Lord Mandelson's suggestions for providing more Government services through Post Offices. Guardian Coverage of Lord Mandelson's letter

We should examine the prospects for the Post Office becoming a much more significant player in financial services Lord Mandelson

What do you see as a future role for the Post offices?

If you have good ideas about how we can use post offices better, providing different financial or other services I would like to hear them. Your ideas can be put forward if a review takes place.

You can contact me with your ideas, or you can share them with other readers in the comment forum below.