Post Office chairman Julie Edge this week admitted she did not know whether the board had a retail network strategy before she took up the position.

Ms Edge, who has been chairman for three years, repeatedly pointed to the plan to bring forward a retail strategy to Tynwald in October, as MHKs once more questioned the future operations at the Post Office and raised specific concerns following the announcement of another sub-post office closure.

St John’s post office is set to close in August after sub-postmaster Rob Knighton decided not to continue because a fall in transactions was putting business viability in doubt.

Lawrie Hooper (LibVannin, Ramsey) asked whether the closure was part of a ’wider retail strategy’ that already existed was ’it the case that the Isle of Man Post Office does not currently have and has not had for the last decade or two, a retail strategy’.

Ms Edge said she had been chairman for three years and the board was bringing forward a retail strategy.

’I am uncertain as to whether there was one prior to that, but I will certainly check,’ she said.

In reply to a separate question from Dr Alex Allinson (Ramsey), she said the contract for sub-postmasters had been reviewed since she became chairman.

Tim Baker (Ayre and Michael) asked what consideration was given to advertising for a new sub-postmaster at St John’s.

Ms Edge said it was ’very difficult’ for the Post Office without knowing whether the new retail strategy would be approved.

’To advertise something that we cannot tell an individual what it is at this moment in time, I do not think would make any business sense for anybody. Who would want a business that you do not know what the future outcome is going to be until it is debated?’

Ms Edge said the estimated loss of income for IoMPO, as a result of the St John’s closure. was £4,264.15, but the approximate savings from the closure came to £21,337.66.

Sixty-seven customers currently use St John’s post office for benefits payments. They were ’already starting to choose an alternative post office’ to collect payments or elect a proxy to collect for them.

She said there were ’digital alternatives’ and other post offices in the area to satisfy demand for customers in respect of other services.

’St John’s is just over two miles travelling distance to either Peel or Foxdale, while Kirk Michael is four miles. Each of the nearest post offices are accessible using public transport.’

The landlord of the post office and general store planned to see it continue as a shop, she said.

Mr Baker commented that ’clearly it seems as though the less post offices you have the better the outcome’ as far as the Isle of Man Post Office board was concerned.

Meanwhile, Ms Edge confirmed the number of post offices in the island has fallen by almost a third since 2002.

At that stage there was a network of 33 post offices, but this is now down to 23 at the end of May (before the St John’s closure). Included in those closures were two Crown post offices - directly controlled post offices rather than contracted out businesses.

In previous debates, the lack of public support from ministers for Ms Edge has been noticeable.

On this occasion, once more, there was a reticence from the Council of Ministers to back the chairman, but two Treasury members did step up.

Ralph Peake (Douglas North) said: ’These sub-post offices are private businesses. It is not actually the post office that owns them.’

Bill Shimmins (Middle) added: ’The sub-post offices, which are private businesses, some of them are closing due to lack of foot flow and this is because customers are choosing to do their business using more convenient methods.

’All organisations, big and small, need to adapt to changing consumer trends, technology and customer demands if they are to remain relevant to our community.’

Ms Edge, perhaps unsurprisingly, agreed with both the MHKs’ sentiments.