27 June 2019Post office minister, Kelly Tolhurst MP, has pledged before the House of Commons’ Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy select committee earlier this week that Britain’s 3,000 most isolated post offices will continue to receive subsidies after the current £50M scheme ends in 2021.
The subsidised branches, known as community post offices, are not financially viable but are deemed worthy of support as they provide “vital” services to their local areas.
In practice, Miss Tolhurst is pledging to lobby the Treasury for the funds in the Spending Review later this year if the Post Office is unable to pay for the branches by itself but, whilst welcoming her commitment, the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters remains wary until the Treasury commits.
