The future of the threatened Post Office network could now be decided by a national consultation launched last month by MPs.

I am urging all local residents to offer their ideas for developing Post Office businesses so they are secure for the future.

The Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Committee’s Post Office Consultation can provide a blueprint to save the entire Post Office network, and it is vital that local people get involved in putting ideas forward. Their online forum gives them a chance to hear from as wide a cross-section of public opinion as possible.

The parliamentary inquiry started in December, with the online forum opening in January. The Liberal Democrats, both locally and nationally, have campaigned strongly against Post Office closures , as well as backing the fight to keep the Post Office Card Account (POCA).

The Post Office Network had a reprieve in December when the government bowed to pressure from the Lib Dems and other groups to retain the Post Office Card Account, but it’s only a short term solution.

The Post Office still needs to be made viable if we are to avoid seeing more closures, and the best way of doing that is to provide more government services through the Post Office.

I strongly urge as many people as possible to take part in this consultation. The BERR Committee’s report will carry a lot of weight, and could provide a blueprint for the future of the Post Office network. It is vital that local people make their voices heard.

The online forum can be found at: http://forums.parliament.uk/post-office-future/index.php?index,1