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<p>The Government understands the important role that post offices play in communities
across the country and since 2010 has committed nearly £2 billion to maintain, modernise
and protect a network of at least 11,500 branches that continues to meet strict access
criteria that see, for example, 95% of the urban population living within one mile
of a post office outlet.</p><p> </p><p>This Government has also committed that there
will be no programme of Post Office closures. There are currently around 11,700 post
office branches in the UK, with the Post Office network at its most stable for over
two decades.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested is the operational responsibility
of Post Office Limited and I understand from the company that it does not hold information
in the format requested. For your reference I include historic information on the
number of open Post Office branches at national level and by the West Midlands Government
Office region in the tables below:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Number of open post offices
in the UK</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Number of open Post
Office branches</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>End of March 1997</p></td><td><p>19251</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>End
of March 2010</p></td><td><p>11905</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>End of Sept 2014</p></td><td><p>11631</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Number of open post offices in West Midlands Government
Office region (historic figures are only available from the year 2000)</p><p> </p><p>
</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Number of open Post Office branches</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>End
of March 2000</p></td><td><p>1479</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>End of March 2010</p></td><td><p>930</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>End
of Sept 2014</p></td><td><p>904</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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