Mr. Pat Watt:

We have had initial discussions with the Department and the IPU. The Department shares our view around making sure money is dispersed in a way that really supports those who are most in need. We recognise that the larger, more viable post offices have more options in terms of being able to take action where they are under, say, for example, business pressure on volumes. They also benefit more from the footfall drivers we are putting in place like, for example, agency banking whereas a smaller post office or, indeed, a small urban post office may not benefit as much. Therefore, they do need more support.