A report published today by Consumer Focus Wales into the recent Post Office closure programme confirms what Welsh Conservatives have been saying all along- that the people hit hardest by post office closures are the most vulnerable sections of society.
In the eighteen month period since October 2007, 157 post offices were shut in Wales. Many of the communities that lost their post office are many miles away from the nearest Bank branch.
Pensioners, the infirm and mothers of young children who rely on the post office to access their benefits and other services have been seriously inconvenienced.
Many may not own a car and public transport is often infrequent or non-existent in rural areas.
It is high time the Government realised the important role that small post offices play in the life of our communities, and particularly our rural communities.
Sub-postmasters must be given greater freedom to run their own businesses and that means releasing them from their ties and allowing them to offer a broader range of services.
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