I would like to begin by congratulating the Conservatives’ spin-doctors on hoodwinking a number of people into thinking that their Commons motion last week could have prevented some of the post office closures in Reading when in fact the precise opposite was the case.

It is worth pointing out that Post Office Ltd announced their decision to proceed with closures of five branches in Reading on Friday 22^nd February. A decision that could not have been reversed by a vote in the House of Commons a month later.

The Conservative motion, even if passed, would achieve nothing as it contained no funding commitments, and was simply an empty party political gesture. It was hypocritical of them to fail to commit to match the government’s pledge to deliver £1.7 billion of investment in the Post Office Network up until 2011 and then protest about the closures of unprofitable branches. Particularly when their Shadow Post Office Minister conceded in the debate that the Network had to shrink to survive. Currently only 4,000 of the 14,000 post offices are operating at a profit and an annual subsidy of £159 million is being provided to sustain the network. In 2007 the Post Office Network lost £174 million. The Conservatives cannot have it both ways. Either they have to commit, at the very least, to provide the current level of public subsidy necessary to maintain a reduced network or they have to explain how many more branches they would close if the subsidy was removed altogether.

I have always been upfront with my constituents that the Post Office Network would have to shrink to reflect the declining business and the increase in online transactions. I have only campaigned to save those post offices where there was a realistic chance of demonstrating that either the published criteria for closure had not been met or where real hardship would occur. I did not challenge all of the 2004 closures but instead concentrated on The Meadway and Whitley Wood branches and was successful in the case of Whitley Wood. I believe we had made a similarly strong case this time in respect of Wantage Road in particular and were let down by Postwatch at the last minute.

Despite my anger and disappointment over the Wantage Road decision I was not about to engage in futile gesture politics by voting for a hypocritical and incoherent Tory motion that would not and could not, reverse decisions that have already been made.

I have been busy in Parliament on Home Affairs Select Committee work with our current enquiries into Domestic Violence, Forced Marriage and Human Trafficking, These are all serious issues with very real human consequences and I am confident that our reports will make a valuable contribution to the development of policy and legislation in these areas.

Last Friday I was privileged to be invited to a reception to celebrate the retirement of Reading’s former top policeman - Chief Superintendent Dave Murray. Dave is a Whitley boy, born and bred and has never forgotten his roots in 32 years of loyal service to his community.

Everyone in this town owes this brave and inspirational man a huge debt of gratitude and I would like to publicly wish him well for his retirement and thank him on behalf of the people of Reading.