Sir Roger Gale
Member of Parliament for Herne Bay and Sandwich (including West Thanet)
 

North Thanet's MP Roger Gale has this (Thursday) lunchtime welcomed the Government's decision to "cancel the current unfinished procurement exercise" (in the Minister's words) and to award a new contract for the continuation of the Post Office Card Account to at least 2015.

"I regard this as a victory for the common sense expressed by the backbenches, on behalf of our constituents, over the Government" says Roger Gale.

"It is a sadness that our sub post masters have had to face the best part of a year of uncertainty and delay while the Government has dithered over the process and that, as a result, some personal closure decisions will have been taken that might have been avoided, but at least for the moment the threat of another huge tranche of sub post office closures would appear to have been avoided.

I believe that the recent debate in the House of Commons, reflecting from all parties the concerns expressed on behalf of rural communities, the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged, together with pressure from organisations such as Help the Aged, has forced the Government to see sense.

I note that the new Post Office contract will be "within the terms of the relevant EU regulations" and trust that we shall not find any hidden restrictions contained within that statement"!

​

​

​