A lot of mail for the DTI

The Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) has received over 2,300 responses to its public consultation on the future of the Post Office network which ended on Thursday 8 March. In addition, the Department also received a number of local petitions and postcard/stock letter campaigns.

Previously the Department has insisted that it intends to pubish a Government decision document by the end of March, meaning that a mere three weeks would be taken to consider all these responses - the Postwatch one made 99 recommendations - and then consult Ministers and finally draft and publish a final document.

However, this week, in response to a Parliamentary Question, DTI Minister for posts Jim Fitzpatrick simply said: "We are currently reviewing the response and will be publishing our conclusions in due course".

If the Government's decision statement is not published in the next three weeks, it will be caught by the purdah period which applies to local elections and the statement will have to be postponed until May.

The DTI lost out in a judicial review of its poor consultation process over the energy review. It will not want to repeat this mistake.