text_body: --- DIVISION TITLE ---
  
  Post Office Closures - No suspension during consultation
  
  --- MOTION EFFECT ---
  
  
  
  
  
  <p>The majority of MPs voted to reject the motion put forward by the Conservative Party:[1]</p>
  
  <blockquote>This House - 
  <ul>
  <li><em>regrets</em> the proposal to close up to 2,500 post offices;</li>
  <li><em>recognises</em> the vital role post offices play in local communities;</li> 
  <li><em>notes</em> the concern and unpopularity amongst the general public of closing such a large portion of the network;</li>
  <li><em>has concerns</em> that the access criteria laid down for the closures consultation do not adequately take into account local geographical factors and public transport networks; </li>
  <li><em>is concerned</em> that the consultation period is only for six weeks rather than three months, as recommended by Cabinet Office guidelines; </li>
  <li><em>believes</em> that post offices must move with the times in the services they offer and that options for business expansion and developing business opportunities with local authorities should be explored further; and </li>
  <li><em>calls upon</em> the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to instruct Post Office Limited to suspend the compulsory closure of sub-post offices while these issues are re-assessed.</li>
  </ul></blockquote>
  
  <p>An alternative motion was proposed in the name of the Prime Minister and voted through in the following vote.[2]  That second vote included two further rebel Labour votes who did not appear in this first division, bringing the total rebellion to 21,[3] in spite of reports from the BBC which leave out Ian Cawsey and Julie Morgan.[4]</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>[1] <a href="http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2008-03-19b.946.1#g946.3">Alan Duncan MP</a>, House of Commons, 19 March 2008</li>
  <li>[2] <a href="http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2008-03-19&number=132">Division 132</a>, House of Commons, 19 March 2008</li>
  <li>[3] <a href="http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2008-03-19&number=131&number2=132">Comparison of Division 131 to 132</a>, House of Commons, 19 March 2008</li>
  <li>[4] <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7303968.stm">Post vote slashes Labour majority</a>, BBC News, 19 March 2008.</li>
  </ul>
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  --- COMMENTS AND NOTES ---
  
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