On 29 November, I spoke in Parliament about the importance of local Post Offices:

"Our local communities are the bedrock on which our wider society is formed. Hove and Portslade, which I represent, are fortunate to have a strong sense of local community, the cornerstone of which is often to be found on the local high street. Those pockets of small independent traders provide so much more than just a local facility at the end of people's roads; they provide a means through which a local community can interact and bond with one another. Faces that become familiar over time soon become friends. In turn, those who are more able look out for those who are less so. The very existence of small independent traders binds the local community together, which in turn fosters strong and enduring local relations.

I am aware that my hon. Friend the Minister is not responsible for the closure of individual post offices, but his Department has been responsible for the criteria on which post offices are to close. That is what I would like clarification on. He has kindly agreed to meet me and local traders on 13 December, for which I thank him.

The Richardson road area of shops in Hove consists solely of independent shopkeepers. The existence of that parade of shops represents much more than that to local residents. Indeed, a local writer, Christopher Hawtree, has described it as a nook and a village. The consultation on the closure of post offices specifies that among the criteria that need to be taken into consideration is the impact of closure on local trade. How much weight would the Minister put on those economic factors, and how would the Post Office assess that impact, which is far from clear?

The shopkeepers consider themselves the backbone of the local community, providing a truly personal service to the surrounding area. Local residents can purchase all the necessities of everyday life there. At the centre of those facilities is the local post office, which faces the prospect of closure. That would, I believe, mean the gradual break-up of a group of independent businesses that, although independent from mainstream commercial ownership, are completely dependent on one another for their sustainability.

The local butcher, John O'Connell, born and brought up in the area, said:

"It is disgusting that the Post Office is closing."

He said that the Post Office should be taken over by the Government. The baker, Clayton Morris, of Upper Crust sandwich shop, said:

"The Post Office closure will create a negative impact on the small but busy business community in Richardson road, including my own."

Kevin Moffatt, the florist, said:

"The closure would rip the community apart as the Post Office is a vital life line".

All those traders are terrified of the impact of the closure of their local facility.

Demographics are supposed to be an issue, and many residents in the immediate area are elderly people who find the prospect of travel, even over a relatively short distance, daunting. The alternative post offices suggested are both across busy roads. Many local residents are senior citizens for whom an extended journey to the post office of even half a mile would be very problematic. For those of limited mobility, a bus journey could prove difficult and the cost of a taxi prohibitive. It seems unfair that those with physical disadvantages or disability should be deprived of access to what is seen by many to be an essential service.

The Government have placed a distance limit on the closure of post offices, which seems a sound idea. However, due to the high density of housing in my constituency, a large proportion of my constituents do not own cars. Is the Post Office looking into that? If demographics are a consideration, as they are supposed to be, should not the age and mobility of users of the post office be taken into consideration or at least investigated? As well as relying on the post office for their pensions, many elderly residents who are not online see it as their only link to family and friends who have moved away.

We have already seen for ourselves the devastating effects that large supermarkets have had on local high streets throughout the country. We are fortunate in Hove and Portslade that despite rapidly expanding numbers of supermarkets, we have managed to maintain our independent local shopping areas and a sustainable community, which I believe should be upheld. Independent businesses are interdependent in a way that our larger supermarkets simply are not. We have seen all too often in recent years the domino effect that occurs when a key business is removed from the local infrastructure. Streets that once were bustling and the heart of a community become unsustainable as residents move further afield for the services that they need. I wonder whether sustainability should also be a major criterion.

To the west of my constituency, we face the closure of another local post office. The Trafalgar road post office lies within a diverse local community with a very strong sense of identity. It has been run by the Patel family as part of their convenience store for about 20 years. Were that post office to close also, not only would many have to travel much further afield to buy a stamp, but there would be a decline in the businesses in the area. However, that is not my major concern about Trafalgar road, though it is that of my constituents.

My major concern is that, when I had a meeting with Post Office Ltd regarding the possible closure of my two local post offices, it said that it was unaware that a planning application had been passed for the Frank Gehry-designed King Alfred site a very short distance away, which includes 650 flats and is supposed to be finished within three years. I suspect that the Post Office is also unaware that part of the South East England development agency plan is to build 10,000 new homes at Shoreham harbour, for which the post office to which I am referring would be the closest local post office.

I echo the comments of the hon. Member for Argyll and Bute (Mr. Reid): exactly how were those decisions made? It is fair enough to say that it is the job of the MP and the local people to import this issue into the consultation process, but a decision had already been made, before it even got to us, that those were the post offices that the Post Office felt were appropriate for closure. I feel that there is a lack of transparency about the commercial decisions made. I am unaware of exactly why the Post Office has chosen to close, for example, the Richardson Road post office. That should also be part of the consultation process. We should be given all the information, including financial information, from the Post Office, before these decisions are made."