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The Post Office network

The UK’s Post Office network currently has around 13,500 branches. Since the network’s inception, sub-post offices – owned and operated by private business people contracted as agents of the Post Office – have always formed the core of the network.  Sub-post offices currently account for over 97 per cent of the network. Typically, 10 per cent of branches in the network change hands on the basis of a commercial transfer in any given year. Fewer than 500 directly managed ‘Crown’ post offices are operated by staff employed by Post Office Ltd.

Post Office Ltd provides a wide range of products and services and has seen some success from its efforts to introduce attractive and competitive products that cater for the needs of today’s consumers and help offset the erosion of traditional declining business.

The Post Office network also plays an important social and economic role in the communities it serves. The Government has made substantial investment of over £2 billion in the network since 1999 and it will continue to maintain a Post Office network with national coverage.

Government has announced, subject to European state aid clearance, funding of up to £1.7 billion until 2011 to continue to support the national network and enable Post Office Ltd to modernize and rationalise the network to place it on a more stable footing.

The Department's role

The Department is responsible for formulating Government’s strategic policy for the Post Office network and for agreeing Post Office Ltd’s business plan.

On 14 December 2006 Department launched a 12-week consultation on a range of proposals for the Post Office network. The consultation closed on 8 March 2007 and we are grateful to all those who took the time to contribute to the process. The Department published its response to the Post Office network consultation on the 17th May 2007.

Please use the links below if you would like to find out more on specific areas of Government policy for the Post Office network.

Tell me more about

• The Post Office network – how Government policy has developed since 1997
  
  
• The Post Office network in rural areas
  
  
• The Post Office network in urban areas
  
  
• Directly managed crown post offices
  
  
• Cash and banking services at post offices
  
  
• Government loan facility for Post Office Limited

For more information about the Post Office network, the opportunities it offers or the services it provides, contact Post Office Ltd using the contact details below:

Post Office Limited (the company that is responsibly for running the UK’s network of post offices)
Address: Freepost, PO Box 740, Brampton, Barnsley S73 0UF
Telephone: 08457 22 33 44
Post Office website - http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po

Advice and information on the Post Office network and postal services are also available from:

Postcomm (the UK’s postal services regulator)
Address: Hercules House, 6 Hercules Road, London, SE1 7DB
Telephone: 020 7593 2100
Postcomm website - http://www.psc.gov.uk/index.html

Postwatch (the consumer watchdog for postal services)
Address: FREEPOST POSTWATCH
Telephone: 08456 01 32 65
Postwatch website - http://www.postwatch.co.uk/