MP supports local business in fighting Post Office decision

1st December 2010
MP supports local business in fighting Post Office decision

Local MP, Gordon Henderson is supporting local businesses who are fighting the decision by the Post Office to charge for collecting their mail before 8:30am.

The Post Office used to allow local businesses to collect their mail from the main Post Office before 8:30am free of charge, however, recent changes mean they are now expected to pay £225 per month.

Mr Henderson took this issue into Parliament where he asked Ed Davey, Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills if he would encourage the Post Office to drop the additional burden on small businesses. The full exchange was as follows:

Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne and Sheppey) (Con): In my constituency, small businesses have historically been able to visit our local Crown post office to collect their mail early in the morning. Now the Post Office has informed those businesses that in future they will have to pay £225 per month if they want to collect their post before 8.30 in the morning. Will my hon. Friend encourage the Post Office to drop that additional burden on small business?

Mr Davey: As my hon. Friend knows, such issues are operational matters for the management of Royal Mail, but I will certainly raise that matter with them.

Mr Henderson has also written to the Post Office himself demanding an explanation of the charge.

Mr Henderson said,

“I was appalled when I discovered that the Post Office plan to impose this charge on local businesses. I could understand it if the Post Office were proposing to charge for an additional delivery service, but to expect local businesses to pay £225 per month to collect their own mail is simple outrageous.

“I have written to the Post Office demanding an explanation, however, I thought that at the same time I would raise the issue in Parliament to see if I could get the Government’s backing.

“I was pleased with the answer I received from the Minister and I will be writing to him asking to be informed of any response he gets from the Post Office when he raises the matter with them.”