Citizens Advice Gives Evidence To Stormont Committee

In evidence given to the Ad Hoc Committee on Local Postal Services at the Assembly today, Citizens Advice said that the N.I. Assembly should seek local powers in respect of a framework for the development of the Post Office.

Mr Derek Alcorn Chief Executive of Citizens Advice in Northern Ireland said that government had two simple choices:

1)     Free the post office up to operate commercially and compete properly;  or,

2)     Recognise that a universal postal service is in effect an important part of the social infrastructure and apply cost benefit analysis to subsidise it accordingly.

“Government has spent a lot of time talking about the importance of social capital over the past few years, for example, in terms of the good will and personal time which people commit to charitable and sporting activities.  Post Offices are a perfect example of social capital at work, in terms of the trust with which they are regarded in the community, and their position at the centre of a web of social relationships and services.

They are also an important window into a whole range of Government services, at a time when these are retracting.

For these reasons we believe that the Assembly should move to make this a devolved matter over which it can exercise some influence.”

Paul Herink Director of Information Services added,
“We consider that government departments should be thinking more deeply and widely in terms of innovative uses that can be made of the extensive Post Office network. There is great potential benefit to be derived from Central and local government departments actively seeking to make their services, products and information available through the Post Office network in addition to other access channels”.