Joan Humble, Member of Parliament for Blackpool North and Fleetwood has today joined calls for Post Offices to be allowed to deliver more services to local people.

Mrs Humble said:

"As part of the campaign to save our local post offices we all recognise and support the central role they have in our local communities but we need more people to use them. I welcome the launch of a new Christmas Club by Post Office Ltd in the wake of the Farepak collapse. This new scheme offers a secure and convenient way to save for Christmas 2008. Funds deposited in the Post Office Christmas Club will be governed by strict regulations and locked away in a protected account until November 2008. The Post Office has also said it will negotiate with retailers to obtain discounts for its customers.

This new project, on top of new insurance schemes, should bring more customers into the Post Offices and save them from closure. I have written to the Post Office urging them not to close our local offices until all opportunities for new business have been explored."