Mid Sussex MP, Nicholas Soames, has given his full support to National Post Office week.

Nicholas Soames said; "I know how important the Post Office network is to many millions of people, often the most vulnerable in our communities. We understand this too and that is why Conservatives are joining in the rallies and events up and down the country this week. Last year 4 million people signed a petition calling on the Government to save Post Offices, despite this Labour announced that a further 2,500 would be closed over the next two years. These closures are in addition to the closures which have already taken place since 1997."

Mr Soames added; "While this Government closes Post Offices, it is the Conservative Party that is getting on with working out how to save them. Last October we published our Post Office Action Plan, which laid out our ideas for ensuring that as many Post Offices as possible have a secure future. We called for a successor to the Post Office card account; we argued for sub-Postmasters to be given great freedom to find new business opportunities and we called on local councils to see what services they can provide through Post Offices."

Notes

.The aim of National Post Office Week is to raise the profile of the Government consultation on the future of the Post Office Network. One of the main proposals which they are consulting on, is a plan to close 2500 Post Offices which they class as "economically unviable". The consultation ends on the 8th March 2007 and Mr Soames will be responding.

. Last year Mr Soames surveyed the Postmasters in his constituency