County Welcomes Survival of Post Office Card Account

3.00.00pm GMT Thu 13th Nov 2008

Liberal Democrat councillors at County Hall welcome the government's announcement that the Post Office Card Account contract will be awarded to Post Office Limited for another five years from April 2010 to March 2015. The decision cancels the current unfinished tendering process, which threatened to take this vital service away from Somerset's remaining Post Offices.

Only 24 hours previously, the Liberal Democrats tabled an urgent motion at their Full Council meeting, which received unanimous cross-party support. Without the income generated by the POCA, not only Post Offices but neighbouring shops would have been put at considerable risk. This would have had a very damaging impact on access to services and sustainability in rural communities across Somerset.

Councillor Sam Crabb commented:

"We have pressed the government about this time and time again and at last it seems our message has got through. Our motion also recognised the essential work being done by Somerset's Post Office Network Review Group to identify ways to support the remaining Post Office branch network in Somerset and maintain access to vital services in rural areas."

ENDS.