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<p>The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities
and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard
the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of
post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500
branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.</p><p>
</p><p>The management of the Post Office network is an operational matter for the
Post Office Limited who are responsible for maintaining the network of branches and
achieving the accessibility criteria set by Government. The Post Office does not have
a branch closure programme, rather they are franchising branches to ensure services
remain in communities and are actively looking for areas of the country where there
is a demand for Post Office services, with over 350 local branches opened since April
2017 in new locations. Branches can sometimes close for reasons beyond the Post Office’s
control and when this happens the Post Office seeks to restore services for the communities
affected.</p>
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