division_name: Post Office Services
motion: <p class="" pid=".897.3/1" pwmotiontext="yes">I beg to move,</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid=".897.3/2" pwmotiontext="yes">That this House believes that all Post Office customers who wish to continue receiving their benefits, pension payments and tax credits through the Post Office should be able to do so through a Post Office Card Account opened at the counter of a Post Office or sub-post office; notes that the Government has encouraged Post Office customers to use their own bank accounts or basic bank accounts, whilst preventing the promotion of the Post Office Card Account; further believes that the Government should use the roll out of Direct Payment to encourage the take-up of all benefits and tax credits; calls on the Government to clarify urgently how housebound, disabled and older people who are not able to cope with the three direct payment options will be able to claim their pensions and benefits after 2005; recognises the significant role played by local post offices in both rural and urban areas; appreciates that ending cash benefit payments will deprive sub-postmasters of an average of 35 per cent. of their income; notes that this will make many post offices commercially unviable and is likely to lead to yet further closures; further calls on the Government to ensure that the urban post office closure programme is conducted systematically and only after consulting all relevant parties including Post Office users; and condemns the Government's failure to deliver benefits and tax credits in a simple, easy to understand manner while at the same time jeopardising the future prosperity of the Post Office.</p>
  
  <p class="" pid=".906.0/1" pwmotiontext="yes">I beg to move, To leave out from "House" to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid=".906.0/2" pwmotiontext="yes">"supports the Government's strategy to modernise the way benefits and pensions are paid, and to provide customers with a choice of accounts; welcomes the fact that with Direct Payment customers will still be able to collect their cash from the Post Office if they wish using a current account or basic bank account with Post Office access or the Post Office Card Account; notes the Government's plans for a cheque payment, cashable at post offices, for people who cannot be paid through an account; recognises that Direct Payment is a more modern, efficient and secure method of payment which will also help increase financial inclusion; welcomes the fact that more customers are now paid through an account than by order book without problems, including nearly six million pensioners; notes the previous government's attempt to introduce a Benefit Payment Card, which wasted millions of pounds of tax-payers' money; notes the fact that the Post Office had not until recently kept up with changes in customer demand and so had seen transaction volumes dropping and losses increasing; recognises the need for change and congratulates the Government for taking decisive action to help turn the business around; welcomes the record &#163;2 billion investment in the Post Office network over a five-year period, including &#163;450 million for the rural network and &#163;210 million to modernise the urban network; and believes that this will help ensure a viable Post Office network that people will want to use."</p>
  
  <p pid=".945.9/1" pwmotiontext="yes"><i>Question put accordingly,</i> That the original words stand part of the Question:&#8212;</p>
  
  <p pid=".945.9/2" pwmotiontext="yes"><i>The House divided:</i> Ayes 200, Noes 300.</p>