MP's plea to see key document on Royal Mail privatisation refused

Published on Friday 10 December 2010 16:38

THE government has refused to publish details of a crucial document in its plans to privatise Royal Mail that will reveal whether it could lead to thousands of post offices being closed.

A freedom of information request on the inter-business agreement (IBA) being drawn up for the Royal Mail and Post Office Network has been turned down for reasons of "commercial confidentiality".

The government also said it held no details on advice about the IBA.

It comes amid concerns that, once Royal Mail is privatised and separated from the post office network, it will be able to force the closure of many branches by threatening to take its business elsewhere. About 7,000 of the 11,900 branches are unprofitable, including an estimated 1,000 in Scotland, and it is feared rural areas could be worst hit.

Gregg McClymont, the Labour MP for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch who made the FOI request, said: "The minister (Ed Davey] refuses to write protections into the law that would save the post offices. He says we can rely on the commercial relationship to deliver the public service. The snag is this is secret - we are not allowed to see it."