Government-created uncertainty over the future of sub-post offices might accelerate their demise, an MHK has warned.

The stark message came from Chris Robertshaw (Douglas East) as the House of Keys heard that the Treasury had not yet come up with a firm plan of where cash payments might be made if post office closures continue, or what will happen when the current arrangement to use post offices ends in three years’ time.

Mr Robertshaw said: ’This creation of uncertainty will actually exacerbate the situation further and will result in sub-post offices closing earlier than they might otherwise have done.’

The Treasury has an agreement to enable pensioners to collect their pension via the MiCard service or in cash from sub-post offices, up until December 31, 2022. Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan said any changes to that would be announced 12-18 months before then.

Mr Cannan admitted that if post office closures continue, ’then we would have to look at our options’.

He said: ’I am not in a position to forecast the future in terms of how we would provide services were a sub-post office to shut and there was a clear need to do so.

’I can only work with what is in front of me’

Earlier this month, Tynwald approved a modernisation programme for the post office network, despite concerns it amounted to ’managed decline’.

The issue of what would happen with pension payments was raised this week by Lawrie Hooper (LibVannin, Ramsey), who said the idea that the Treasury would get 12 to 18 months’ notice of a sub-post office closure was ’farcical’.

’He needs to ensure cash services are available and he has also referenced essentially the inevitable result of a decline in transactions is the closure of sub-post offices,’ said Mr Hooper.

’When that inevitably happens, what plans does he have?

’How is he going to ensure that local people in these rural areas can still access these cash services such as collecting their pensions?’

Mr Cannan acknowledged that ’many’ sub-post offices had closed over the past decade.

’The fact is in those areas those individuals who were collecting cash had to move a couple of miles or a mile or so down the road to the next available sub-post office in order to collect their cash,’ he said.

’We do not have all the answers.’

More questions about how pension payments would be were levelled at Mr Cannan. He ended up warning MHKs to be careful what they wish for.

’We will carry out a review and once we have carried out that review we will be in a position to consider whether in fact MiCard as a service via the sub-post offices is the most appropriate way to deliver cash to the community,’ he said.

’If that is not the case and we choose to use other available community services, such as newsagents or petrol stations or whatever is available, then clearly that is not going to be a position that is going to help the Post Office, so one needs to be absolutely very clear about what some members are wishing for in this position.’